In the Beginning....
by The 18th Angel
Summary: The story of Oosugi Suzuno and her adventures with the Byakko Seven.
1. The Maiden in the Book

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Legal Stuff: Let's just say that even in my wildest dreams I can still only *wish* that I created/owned Fushigi Yuugi. It's actual owners are Yuu Watase, Flower Comics, and Shogakukan Inc. I'm not taking credit for their hard work and I don't think you should either.

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Author's Note: This is my own version of the story of the Byakko Seven and their Priestess. It takes place in 1925 (our world's time), roughly ninety years (book time) before Fushigi Yuugi.

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Author's Note (the sequel): My information on the names of the Byakko Seven and the locations of their symbols comes from "Byakko no Shijin Tenchisho" at http://garuby.com/byakko/I suggest you take a look there, it's quite nice.

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**In The Beginning...**

A Fushigi Yuugi Prequel 

By: 18th Angel

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Chapter One The Maiden in the Book 

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Morioka, Japan

1925

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"I never knew Mr. Okuda had so many books." Oosugi Suzuno said exhaustedly, laying a heavy box on top of a stack that was already perilously high.

"He collected them from all over the world." Her father said, carrying another box up the stairs into their attic. "Only one more to go."

"Why did _we_ get all these Daddy?" Suzuno asked.

Her father hesitated. "Einosuke...wanted me to look after his collection...if anything ever happened to him." He finally said.

"Oh..." Suzuno said quietly. It had been over a year since the tragedy, but the pain was still fresh. Losing her best friend Takiko had been bad enough. But when Takiko's father, Suzuno's godfather, committed suicide less than a month later, it was almost too much to bear. And Suzuno didn't even want to contemplate the latest rumors; that Mr. Okuda had taken his own life out of guilt for having killed his daughter. Suzuno could never imagine Mr. Okuda ever doing anything to hurt Takiko, let alone killing her. They were too happy a family.

Her father gave her a comforting smile. "I'll get the last box." He said. "Then what say we go have some dinner?"

Suzuno forced a smile and nodded. The smile faded as soon as her father turned his back to go down the stairs. The Okudas had been more than friends; Takiko's death had hit Suzuno as if she had lost a sister. Oh, she could pretend for her father; act like she was getting better, but part of Suzuno felt as if she would never truly recover. 

Suzuno couldn't keep thinking like this or _she_ would be the one committing suicide next. She glanced around at the dozens of boxes surrounding her. There was an idea. One thing that never failed to cheer her up was reading. It had gotten her through the first few months after Takiko died. For a few hours at least, she could leave all the problems of her own world behind and get lost in a good story. There were certainly enough books around here. It wouldn't hurt to look.

How she found the Book she couldn't say. Part of her simply opened a box at random. But another, deeper part seemed to be drawn to that particular box. Almost before she even opened the box, Suzuno knew which book she would take from it. She was drawn to it like a magnet.

At first, nothing about the book seemed that unusual. It was a small book of medium thickness, bound in faded red leather with strips of brown cloth holding its spine together. The pages were yellow with age. In fact, everything about the book screamed "Old!"

Suzuno picked the book up out of its box and turned it over. The cover was adorned with Chinese writing. Fortunately, her father had taught her how to read Chinese some time ago. "The Universe of the Four Gods." She read out loud. 

_Hmm...sounds like an adventure story..._ She thought. She carefully opened the old book and began reading aloud again, chiding herself for not keeping up her studies enough to read the foreign language silently.

"This is the tale of a girl who made her dreams come true after she gathered the Seven Stars of Byakko; and many powers were bestowed upon her. The story itself is an enchanted text. The one who reads it entirely will be granted the powers and given the wishes just as the girl was. For it begins and becomes real the moment the first page is turned..."

A strange feeling came over Suzuno as soon as she began reading the words, but the more she read, the more the words on the page seemed to call to her. She was so engrossed in the words, she didn't even notice the brilliant white glow beginning to fill the small attic.

*****

Oosugi Takao was halfway up the stairs, a heavy box of books in his arms, when he heard his daughter's voice. She spoke slowly and deliberately, as if reading aloud. Takao strained his ears to hear her words.

"...were bestowed upon her. The story itself is an enchanted text..."

Takao's blood ran cold. Not _that_ book! Of all the books she could have picked, why that one? He dropped the box and sprinted up the stairs, desperate to stop Suzuno before something terrible happened. He burst into the attic and saw Suzuno sitting on the floor, reading from the Book, oblivious to the blinding white light that surrounded her. 

"NO!" He yelled. "Suzuno, stop! You mustn't read that book!"

But it was too late. The white light flared up, blinding Takao and blocking his view of Suzuno. When the light faded, she was gone. Only the Book remained. Takao rushed to where she had been, calling her name even though he knew his daughter was beyond hearing.

Reluctantly, dreading what he would see, Takao picked up the ancient tome and opened it. There, on the second page was a drawing of Suzuno. Tears sprang into his eyes. It was just like Einosuke had said. He hadn't wanted to believe it, but it was true. Suzuno had been snatched away into the Book, just like Takiko.

As Takao looked on, words began to appear on the opposite page, magically writing themselves. Einosuke had told him about this as well. Whatever happened to Suzuno inside the book would be inscribed on its pages. Overcome with a profound sense of helplessness, Takao did the only thing he could do for his daughter now. Sitting down on the cold attic floor, his back propped up against the wall, he opened the book once again and began to read her story...

*****

Suzuno awoke in an open field, staring at a clear blue sky above her. 

_Huh?_ She thought. That couldn't be right. Seconds before, she had been in her attic. And it had been raining outside. She dimly remembered hearing her father call her name, but nothing else. What had happened?

She had been reading a book. That much she remembered. It was some kind of old adventure novel from China. She must have fallen asleep, but she couldn't figure out how. She hadn't been tired before she started reading, and few stories were boring enough to put a voracious reader like Oosugi Suzuno to sleep. Even if she _had_ fallen asleep reading the book, that didn't explain where she was now.

Suzuno sat up and looked around. The green field stretched out as far as she could see. Somewhere in the distance, she thought she heard cows mooing. She _definitely_ wasn't in Morioka anymore.

"Where am I?" She wondered aloud. On one hand, this looked like any other pasture. On the other hand, everything seemed...different; unfamiliar somehow. It was nothing that she could really put into words, just a feeling. Maybe it had to do with how the air was just a little cleaner than ever before, the sky just slightly more blue.

"Are you okay?" A concerned voice came from behind her. Suzuno turned and saw a boy about her age staring at her. The boy's clothes struck Suzuno first. He wore a simple combination of pants and a tunic. The clothes looked like they were hand-woven. They also looked old. Well, the clothes themselves didn't look all that old, but their style was very archaic. "I saw a bright light over here." The boy continued. "Are you all right?"

"Bright light?" 

_ _

_That's right._ Suzuno realized. _I do remember a light while I was reading the book. Of course! The book!_

"Where am I?" She asked urgently.

"You're...on my family's farm." The boy replied. He looked at her strangely, seeming to really study her for the first time. "Who are you?" He asked. "I've never seen you in the village. And I've never seen clothes like that before either."

Suzuno hadn't even considered that her clothes were just as strange to the boy as his had been to her. "My name is...Oosugi Suzuno." She said. "Is this...is this even Japan?"

"Japan?" The boy asked. "What's that?"

"Where am I then?" She demanded.

"Our farm." He repeated. Seeing the confused look on her face, he continued. "Right outside Tso-Pao Village, about a day's journey from the Imperial City."

_Tso-Pao?_ Suzuno thought. _That sounds Chinese. Is it possible? Am I actually *inside* that book? 'The story begins and becomes real the moment the first page is turned.' I don't believe it!_

"Maybe...you should come with me to my parents house." The boy suggested in a concerned voice. "You don't look so good. Oh pardon me; I forgot my manners." He reached down and helped Suzuno to her feet. "My name is Chao Shien." He said. "But everyone calls me Toroki."

"Toroki?"

He smiled. "Yeah. It's kind of a nickname."

*****

Toroki led the strange girl named Suzuno back to the small cottage where he lived with his parents. He kept glancing over at the girl as she walked silently beside him. She was very pretty, he had noticed that immediately. She had light brown hair, which she wore in two long braids. Her eyes were green, and sparkled with intelligence and determination; but at the same time, seemed to be slightly faded, as if by a great sadness. More than just being physically attractive though, there was something about the girl. It was just a feeling Toroki got looking at her that said there was something special about her. Of course, if she turned out to be who he suspected she was, then that would explain it.

*****

At first, Suzuno struggled to keep up with Toroki on the uneven ground. But as soon as he noticed that she was having difficulties, the young man immediately slowed his pace. Once they got out of the pasture and on to a narrow dirt road she was fine and took a moment to look over her companion. 

Toroki seemed to be about Suzuno's age, perhaps a year or two younger. His head was dominated by an unruly mop of dark brown hair that flashed with just a hint of red when the sun hit it, and a pair of inky black eyes. His skin bore a deep tan that spoke of a lifetime out-of-doors.

"So tell me, Miss Suzuno." He said as they walked. "How did you wind up in our pasture?"

"I...don't really know." Suzuno replied hesitantly. _If I tell him about the book he'll think I'm some kind of lunatic. _"It's all very confusing." She finally said. 

Toroki smiled warmly. "Well we're almost home. You'll feel better once you've rested a bit and eaten something."

*****

Toroki's home was a small cottage on the edge of the pasture. A thin trail of smoke drifted out of the house's chimney.

"Mother! Father!" Toroki called out as they entered the small house. "I've brought a visitor!"

Toroki's father was the first to greet them. He was a pleasant-looking man, slightly older than Suzuno's father. Suzuno felt the first twinges of homesickness creeping into her. Would her father even realize what had happened to her? Or would he think that she had run away? Or been kidnapped? She had to get back home somehow.

The man smiled at his son when he caught sight of Suzuno. "So...you've brought home a wife at last, have you Toroki?" He said only half jokingly.

"Father!"

"Not a wife? Hmmm. Fiancée maybe?"

"Father, please!" Toroki's tanned cheeks turned several interesting shades of red. 

"What? An old man can dream about his son finally settling down with a nice girl and taking over the farm, can't he?"

"You're the last person I'd ever dare to call an old man." Toroki replied, regaining some of his composure. "This is Suzuno. She was lost in the pasture."

"Suzuno." Toroki's father greeted her. "It's a pleasure. I see you've already met my son." He leaned over and whispered in her ear, just loudly enough for Toroki to hear as well. "He's single, you know."

"Father!"

"What's going on in here?" A middle-aged woman joined them. 

"Our son's finally engaged." Toroki's father said proudly.

"I'm not engaged!" Toroki insisted. "We just met!"

"You'll have to forgive my husband." The woman said. "He just decided a while ago that he wants grandchildren. Toroki." She turned to her son. "Hino's being stubborn again, would you please go talk some sense into her?"

Toroki nodded and disappeared out the back door.

"Well don't just stand there child. Sit down, sit down." 

"Uh...thank you." Suzuno sat down at a small table across from Toroki's father.

"Are you hungry, dear?" Toroki's mother asked.

"Um...yes ma'am."

"So where did you say you were from again?" Toroki's father said.

"I'm...I'm from Morioka." Suzuno finally said. "In Japan." 

"Is that far? I don't believe I've ever heard of those places."

"Yes." Suzuno said quietly. "I think...I'm very far away from home."

"Poor dear." Toroki's mother said sympathetically. "Here, this will make you feel better." She placed a bowl of steamed rice in front of Suzuno. "It's not much I'm afraid."

"No, it looks delicious. Thank you." Suzuno said.

"Well have all you like." The older woman said cheerfully, sitting down next to Suzuno. "And while you eat, maybe you can tell me where you got such amazing garments."

"What this?" Suzuno asked, looking down at her clothes. "It's just a school uniform."

"School Uniform?"

At that moment, Toroki's father stood up, a strange look on his face. "I think I'll go help Toroki with Hino." He said, leaving quickly through the back door.

*****

Toroki was sitting on the short stone wall that ringed his family's farm, watching the sun set. He heard footsteps approaching behind him. He could tell from the sound of the footfalls that it was his father. "You can tell mother that Hino's fine now." He said. "She just needed a little encouragement."

"That's quite an interesting girl you brought home, son."

Toroki sighed. "I told you, she's not my fiancée. I don't even know her." He turned, expecting to see a friendly smile on his father's face. Instead, his eyes fell on a look of cold determination. "Father?"

"Lift up your sleeve, Toroki." His father said.

"What?"

"Show me your wrist boy!"

Toroki was taken aback by the forcefulness with which his father spoke. He quickly rolled up his right sleeve. As soon as he began rolling the sleeve, a white glow began peeking out from under it. With his sleeve rolled up completely, Toroki turned his arm over and gasped in surprise.

His father nodded grimly. "That's what I thought." He said quietly.

*****

Suzuno was chatting animatedly with Toroki's mother when Toroki and his father came back into the house, both wearing very somber expressions.

"Suzuno." Toroki's father said. "Where did you say you came from?"

"Japan." Suzuno said.

"Is that...another world?" Toroki asked.

"How...how did you know?" Suzuno whispered.

In reply, Toroki held up his right arm, revealing a glowing white symbol on his wrist. Suzuno instantly recognized the Kanji for 'Turtle Snout'. "I have had this mark my entire life." Toroki said. "That's how I got my nickname. But it's never glowed like this...until I met you."

"That symbol is a gift from our God, Byakko." Toroki's father explained. "It marks Toroki as one of Byakko's Celestial Warriors.

"I...I don't understand." Suzuno said.

"There is a legend, that in a time of need, the Priestess of Byakko will appear from another world. She will gather the Seven Stars of Byakko and save Sairo from our enemies."

"And you think that..._I'm_ that girl?" 

"There's only one person who can tell you that for certain." Toroki's father said. "You must go to the Imperial City of Sairo and speak with the Empress."

"The Empress?" Suzuno asked, slightly intimidated by the idea.

Toroki's parents both nodded. "She will be able to tell for sure whether or not you are the Priestess of Byakko." His father said.

"Don't worry, Suzuno." Toroki said. "I'm going with you."

"You'll have to leave as soon as possible." His father continued. "It's getting too late to go now, so you'll have to wait until first light tomorrow." He smiled at Suzuno. "You can stay in Toroki's room."

"Father!!" Toroki sputtered, his cheeks turning red again.

*****

Suzuno did end up sleeping in Toroki's bed that night. The young man slept on the floor in front of the fireplace. When she awoke the next morning, the house was empty. She found Toroki and his parents outside, loading a small mule with supplies. 

"When you reach the palace, make sure you give the guards this letter." His father said, handing Toroki a folded piece of paper. "And show them your mark."

"Yes Father." Toroki said, fastening a saddle to the animal.

"Be careful Toroki." His mother said, throwing her arms around her son.

"I will." He assured her.

"Take care son." His father said, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Safe journey."

"Oh good, you're up." Toroki said, noticing Suzuno for the first time. "We're almost ready to go."

"Good luck, Suzuno." Toroki's mother said. 

The best reply Suzuno could come up with was a quiet "Thank you." Everything was happening just a bit too quickly for her to keep up. Yesterday she had started reading a book to ease her sadness for a while. Now she was about to meet an Empress and find out if she was some kind of legendary priestess. On top of that, she was growing more and more homesick as time went on. By now her father would undoubtedly know she was missing. She felt horrible for making him worry like this through her own carelessness. 

_ _

_You just *had* to read that stupid book, didn't you Suzuno?_ She scolded herself. 

"Ready to go?" Toroki asked, smiling.

Suzuno nodded. The sooner she met with this Empress of theirs, the sooner she could find a way to get home. If she was _very_ lucky, she'd be home in time for dinner tonight.

*****

The first half of the journey passed easily. Suzuno walked next to Toroki as he led the mule along the narrow road. Suzuno's modern clothes earned her some odd looks as they passed through the small village near Toroki's house, but she ignored them. 

Once they left the village, they were alone on the road. Toroki explained that very few people traveled to the Imperial City anymore because it was becoming unsafe.

"What do you mean 'unsafe'?" Suzuno asked, not liking the sound of it at all.

"There's going to be a war soon." Toroki said. "It probably won't reach out here to the smaller villages. But no one wants to be in the City when the attack begins." 

For the next few miles, they walked through the forest in silence. Suzuno was searching for something to say to Toroki, just to break the uncomfortable silence, when she heard a rustling sound above them. Toroki shoved her aside just as a huge shape dropped down onto the road where she had been standing. A sudden pain shot through her leg as she fell. When she looked up, Suzuno saw Toroki staring down a huge, angry tiger. Anyone else would have been terrified to be so close to the big cat, but Toroki seemed completely calm. He stared straight into the tiger's eyes as it growled and hissed, clawing at the air just inches from his face. After a minute or two, something amazing happened. The tiger left! It just turned around and disappeared into the forest. 

Suzuno tried to stand up, but fell back down as pain shot through her left ankle and ran up and down her leg. She cried out as tears sprang into her eyes.

"Suzuno!" Toroki ran over to her. "I'm so sorry." He said. "I didn't mean to push you so hard."

"It's...okay." Suzuno said weakly. "But...what happened. That tiger...I was sure it was going to attack you."

"Actually she wanted to eat _you_." Toroki said. "But don't worry. I talked her out of it."

"You...talked?" The conversation had just taken a dangerous turn for the surreal. "You can talk to tigers?"

"All animals actually." Toroki replied. "Though 'talking' isn't really the best way to describe it. We...communicate. We understand each other."

Suzuno nodded and tried to stand again. Once again, she was stopped by the sharp pain in her ankle.

"That looks bad." Toroki said, examining her ankle. "It could be broken. I'm _really_ sorry."

"Don't worry about it." Suzuno said. "You saved my life. I'd rather have a broken ankle than be tiger food."

Toroki smiled. "You'll have to ride the rest of the way." He said, lifting her in his arms. He carried her over to the small mule, which had remained surprisingly calm during the attack. He placed his hand on the animal's head and looked into its eyes. "Hino." He said slowly. "You're going to have to carry Suzuno now. You won't give her any trouble will you?" He was silent for a moment, then he smiled. "That's a good girl."

Toroki lifted Suzuno and placed her gently on the mule's back, taking care with her injured ankle. "It's only another mile or two." He assured her. "We'll be there before sundown."

*****

**The young girl, nursing an injured ankle, followed the strange boy named Toroki into the Imperial city where she would find out if she were indeed the long awaited Priestess of Byakko.**

Takao paused in his reading. Suzuno had only been gone for a few minutes, but nearly two days had passed in the book. If time really moved that much faster in the book than in the real world, Suzuno could end up a grown woman before she managed to get out. _If_ she got out. Takao shuddered, remembering what Einosuke had said happened to Takiko. Was Suzuno destined to share her fate? Was there anything he could do to stop it? 

For now there wasn't. He couldn't enter the book to help Suzuno. She would have to find her own way out. Then he would find a way to save her from what had befallen Takiko. He would _not_ lose his daughter to this damned book.

But for right now, all he could do was open the book and continue reading...

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To Be Continued

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	2. To Seek the Seven Stars

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Legal Stuff: Let's just say that even in my wildest dreams I can still only *wish* that I created/owned Fushigi Yuugi. It's actual owners are Yuu Watase, Flower Comics, and Shogakukan Inc. I'm not taking credit for their hard work and I don't think you should either.

*****

Author's Note: My information on the names of the Byakko Seven and the locations of their symbols comes from "Byakko no Shijin Tenchisho" at http://garuby.com/byakko/I suggest you take a look there, it's quite nice.

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**In The Beginning...**

A Fushigi Yuugi Prequel

By: 18th Angel

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Chapter Two 

To Seek the Seven Stars

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Outside, night had fallen. The rain that had lasted all day still hammered down on the roof above, occasionally punctuated by a peal of thunder in the distance. But Oosugi Takao was oblivious to the forces of nature raging above his head. His attention was focused on the ancient book in front of him.

**The young girl and Toroki had finally reached the Imperial City. There they would find out once and for all the girl's true purpose for being there...**

*****

"How's that ankle?" Toroki asked as they passed through the streets of Sairo's Imperial City.

"It doesn't hurt as much now. It may not even be broken." Suzuno said absently. Currently, her attention was being drawn far away from the pain in her ankle. She had never seen anything like the Imperial City before. It was like...well like a storybook come to life, which made perfect sense, as it was exactly that.

"The Palace is just a little further." Toroki said, pointing to a large group of buildings ahead of them. "We'll have a doctor take a look at it once we get there."

"You act like you've been there before."

"I have." Toroki replied. "Once, when I was very little, my parents took me there."

"Did you meet the Empress?" Suzuno asked.

"Uh...we....may have...bumped into each other...I guess."

*****

"TOROKI!"

Toroki seemed just as surprised as the guards and courtiers arrayed throughout the throne room when the young woman leaped off of her throne and ran to embrace him.

"Uh...Jianna....I mean...Your Highness....Uh....I mean....." Toroki desperately sought the right words.

"I didn't think I'd ever see you again!" The girl went on, oblivious to Toroki's discomfort.

"Highness, do you know this...boy?"

Suzuno found herself sympathizing with the elderly advisor. His Empress had just thrown herself into the arms of a peasant boy he had never seen before. The Empress' bodyguards seemed unsure of how to react as well.

The young woman gave her advisor a look that held, in one instant, all the combined disdain of an Empress _and a teenaged girl. The old man withered under that gaze._

"Of course I know him." The Empress said. "This is Toroki, one of the Byakko Seven, don't you recognize him?" A strange look came over her face. She took a step back. "You _are Toroki, aren't you?" She asked, looking slightly embarrassed._

Toroki smiled and held up his arm, displaying the glowing symbol on his wrist. "It's me." He said.

"Then if you're back that means..." The Empress immediately shifted her gaze to Suzuno. "That means you must be the Priestess of Byakko!"

"I...don't know." Suzuno said.

"This is Oosugi Suzuno." Toroki said. "My father thinks she may be the Priestess."

"It's an honor to meet you." The young Empress said. "I am Hseng Jianna, Fourteenth Empress of Sairo."

"Highness, Suzuno's ankle was injured on the way here." Toroki said. "May I take her to a doctor before she speaks with you?"

"Of course." The Empress said. "I'll have my own physician tend to her."

*****

"So you and the Empress are friends?" Suzuno asked. She and Toroki had been put in a small but comfortable room to wait for the Imperial physician to take care of her. 

Toroki nodded. "We met when we were just children. When her father was Emperor." He said, a hint of nostalgia in his voice. "But I didn't know she was the Princess at first."

"How could you not know she was a princess?" Suzuno asked.

"Well that's a long story."

"And I'm not going anywhere for a while." Suzuno replied, indicating her swollen ankle.

Toroki smiled and sat down next to her. "Well, it happened when I was about five years old...

*****

*****

"Who is next?" The aging Emperor asked.

"Chao Shien of Tso-Pao." An advisor read from a long list of names. "They claim he bears the mark of Toroki."

"Very well. Send him in."

A young couple was led into the throne room. They wore the simple clothes of subsistence farmers and seemed in awe at their surroundings. A little boy with dark brown hair walked between them. Where his parents were almost timid in the presence of the Emperor, their son seemed completely oblivious to the importance of the old man. He bowed when they reached the throne, but it seemed more that he was emulating his parents than anything else.

"So you claim this boy is Toroki of the Byakko Seven?" The Emperor spoke to the boy's father.

"Yes, Your Highness. He was born with the symbol." 

The Emperor signaled one of his advisors. At the man's request, the boy politely rolled up his right sleeve, revealing a dull gray symbol on his wrist. Rubbing with a wet cloth confirmed that the mark was not painted on. 

"The mark would appear to be genuine, Highness." 

"That's good." The Emperor said. "However, more proof is needed before the boy will be accepted as a Warrior of Byakko." He turned back to the boy and his parents. "Please consider yourselves guests of the Imperial Family until we can confirm or deny your claim."

"Thank you, Highness." The boy's father said, bowing as low as possible. 

"The valet will see you to your quarters."

*****

The little boy spent the next few days in a small nursery with several other children ranging in age from infants to adolescents. He kept mostly to himself, not liking being separated from his parents. But by the time he left, three weeks later, he had made two new friends. The first was a tall, thin boy six years his elder with long blue hair and piercing gray eyes. The older boy noticed him sitting alone in a corner for the second day in a row and approached him.

"What's your name?" He asked.

The younger boy hesitated for a moment. "Chao Shien." He finally said. 

"No, no." The older boy said. "I mean your _real name."_

"My....my parents always call me Toroki."

"Toroki huh?" He smiled and puffed up his chest. "I'm Karasuki, of the Byakko Seven." He said proudly. 

"You're really a Warrior of Byakko?" Toroki asked.

Karasuki's brow furrowed a little. "Well, they keep saying that it's not 'official' yet. But _I know I'm Karasuki so eventually they'll figure it out too."_

"How do you know you're really Karasuki?" 

Karasuki smiled again. "Because Byakko's already given me my powers."

**_And they're really neat, too._**

Toroki looked around quickly, trying to see who had spoken. The voice had been Karasuki's but his mouth hadn't moved.

**_When you're done looking around, I'm still right here._**

Toroki looked back at Karasuki. The older boy smiled, obviously very amused with himself. 

"How did you do that?"

"It's my gift." Karasuki said. "No one else can hear it unless I want them too."

"Wow." Toroki seemed impressed.

"What about you?" Karasuki asked. "Can you do anything?"

"Not really......" Toroki said. "Well except..."

"What?"

"No." Toroki shook his head. "It's dumb."

"Come on! Tell me!" Karasuki insisted.

"Well...I'm the only person who can ride Hino. That's our mule. She bucks everyone else off."

"Hmm...That's not much of a power..." Karasuki agreed.

"I know." Toroki said dejectedly. "I don't think I'm a Byakko Warrior."

"That's too bad." Karasuki said. He shrugged. "Well, I'll still be your friend as long as you're here."

*****

By the end of the first week, all the other children had been sent home. Only Toroki and Karasuki remained. Every once in a while, Toroki was taken from the nursery into a small classroom where he was given various tests, most of them involving the mark on his wrist. 

Sometimes Karasuki would be taken away, and every time Toroki feared his friend would be sent home and they would never meet again. But Karasuki always came back with a smile on his face. Toroki had no idea how he was doing in the tests, but Karasuki obviously believed that _he was doing very well._

Toroki was sitting alone one day, waiting for Karasuki to return from the latest round of tests, when a girl his age came into the nursery. She had black hair and sky blue eyes. She smiled when she saw him. The little girl walked right up to Toroki and sat down next to him.

"Why are you all alone here?" She asked.

"I'm not alone. I'm just waiting for Karasuki to get back." Toroki said.

"Oh!" The girl's face lit up at the mention of Karasuki. "Are you one of the Byakko Seven?"

"My parents think so. But I don't know." Toroki said.

"Can I see your mark?" She asked excitedly.

By now, Toroki was used to having people examine his wrist. He held it up so she could see the symbol.

"Wow!" The girl gently took hold of his wrist and examined the mark. "So if you have _this mark...." She thought for a moment. "Then your name's Toroki, right?"_

"That's what everyone calls me."

"But you don't think you're _the Toroki?"_

"Well...It's just that...I can't do anything." Toroki said. "You know, like Karasuki can."

"Maybe you just haven't found what you're good at yet." She suggested.

Suddenly, the sound of footsteps echoed from down the hall, approaching them.

"I have to go now." The girl said. "Will you be here tomorrow?"

Toroki nodded. The girl smiled and turned to leave.

"Wait!" Toroki called after her. She turned to face him again. "You never told me your name."

The girl seemed to take a moment to consider her answer. "It's Jianna." She finally said. "I'll see you tomorrow, Toroki." With a final smile and a quick wave, she took off down another hallway, heading away from the approaching footsteps.

*****

Toroki and Jianna met again the next day, and the day after that. Jianna seemed to have a knack for showing up right after Karasuki left and disappearing before he returned.

The third day, she showed up with a thick line of brown fur draped across her shoulders. At first, Toroki took it to be a part of her clothes. That is, until it started moving.

"What is that?" Toroki asked. He stared intently at the piece of fur and suddenly found a pair of clear black eyes staring back at him.

"Oh him." Jianna giggled. "I forgot he was even there." She reached up and plucked a small ferret off of her shoulders. "This is Ping."

Toroki reached out to pet the little animal. "Careful!" Jianna cried, but Toroki's hand was already on the ferret's head, scratching it lightly between the ears. "He...bites..." Jianna trailed off. She stared in awe at Toroki. "How did you do that?" She finally asked. "Ping never lets _anyone except me touch him."_

"Animals just like me." Toroki said with a shrug. "Even wild ones."

Jianna smiled. "You really _are Toroki." She said._

"What do you mean?"

"Only a Celestial Warrior could pet Ping without getting bit."

*****

***** 

"Well I guess she was right." Toroki said.

"So when did you find out she was the Princess?" Suzuno asked, wincing a bit as the doctor examined her ankle.

"Not until the last time I saw her." Toroki said.

*****

*****

"I made it, Toroki!" Karasuki exclaimed as they walked toward the throne room. "I passed all the tests!"

"Me too!" Toroki said happily.

"So you really _are Toroki."_

Toroki nodded, beaming with pride. 

They found the entire Imperial Court awaiting them in the throne room. 

"Out of nearly one hundred children brought before us, these two have proven themselves to be genuine Warriors of Byakko." The Emperor announced. "I present Fah Soun and Chao Shien; to be known from now on as Karasuki and Toroki of the Byakko Seven."

Everyone in the room bowed to the two boys, both of whom were struck speechless by their newfound fame.

* ****

Later, when the ceremony had been completed, the Emperor took Toroki's parents aside. Toroki was asleep in his mother's arms, exhausted by the day's events.

"It seems I owe you a great debt of gratitude." He said. "Some day, your boy will help save all of Sairo. Thank you for bringing him here."

"We were honored to, Your Highness." Toroki's father replied, bowing. "I only wish that more than two Warriors could have been found."

"I'm sure you heard that Karasuki will be raised in the Palace from now on."

"You mean...?" Toroki's mother seemed to tighten her grip on her sleeping son.

"No. Do not mistake me. It was at his mother's request. I am simply offering to give Toroki the same opportunities as Karasuki." He smiled. "But I think I already know your answer."

"Please do not be offended, Highness. But...we cannot accept you offer. I apologize."

"There is no need for apologies." The Emperor said, smiling. "Our children are all we really have in life. I could no more ask you to give up your son, than I could give up my own daughter."

"Thank you, Your Highness." Toroki's father said. "For everything."

*****

"So you're leaving?" Karasuki seemed a bit upset.

Toroki nodded. "We have to go back home now."

"Well...It's going to be kind of boring around here without you."

"You're not...mad at me are you?" Toroki asked.

The older boy smiled. "Of course not. You _should live with your parents. __I would...if mother could afford it."_

"I'll miss you." Toroki said.

"Me too." His friend replied. "But we know it's not forever. One day the Priestess of Byakko will come here from her own world. And then it'll be you and me, Warriors of Byakko, fighting for our Priestess!" He smiled and ruffled his young friend's hair, sending it into even further disarray than usual. "I'll see you then!" He turned and walked away, waving good-bye one last time before he disappeared into the palace. 

"Toroki, go make sure we haven't left anything."

"Yes father." Toroki walked quickly back to the small apartment where they had lived for the past few weeks. He was surprised to see Jianna waiting for him.

"Congratulations." She said quietly.

"Thank you." Toroki said.

"Are you ever going to come back?" She asked.

"Of course." Toroki said. "Father says they'll send for me when the Priestess appears."

"Do you think you'll ever come just to visit?"

"I don't know." Toroki said.

Jianna whispered something.

"What?" Toroki asked.

"I said I wish _I could be the Priestess of Byakko. Then you wouldn't have to leave at all." She ran to Toroki and wrapped her arms around him. "Will you protect me Toroki?" She asked. "When we're all grown up and you're a Warrior. Even though I'm not your Priestess. Will you still protect me?"_

"Yes." Toroki said, returning her embrace. "I will."

"Promise?"

Before Toroki had a chance to answer, they were interrupted by a sound at the door. 

"Princess Jianna! There you are!" A young woman rushed into the room out of breath and looking very worried. "_Please don't run off like this anymore, Princess." She begged the little girl._

"It's alright Miss Lin." Jianna said. "I was with Toroki."

"Princess?" Toroki asked, astonished.

"I'm sorry." Jianna said. "I didn't tell you, because I just wanted you to think of me as a normal kid, not the next Empress."

"Please come along Princess." The young woman rushed Jianna out the door. Toroki called out to her just as they were leaving.

"I promise!" He said. "When you're the Empress and I'm a Warrior, I'll protect you, even though you aren't my Priestess. I promise." 

And then she was gone.

*****

*****

"And you never saw her again?" Suzuno asked.

"Not until today." Toroki said. "I never saw Karasuki again either."

"Well this ankle doesn't look broken." The doctor said, standing up. "I'd say you probably just twisted it. Go easy on it for the next few days."

Suzuno nodded. "Thank you, Doctor."

The doctor turned to Toroki. "I couldn't help overhearing your story, young man." He said. "I think I know your friend Karasuki."

"He's still here?" Toroki asked.

"Oh yes." The doctor said. "Works in the Royal Archives I believe. He's a very nice young man. Bit of a bookworm though."

"A bookworm?" Toroki repeated. "That doesn't sound like Karasuki."

The doctor shrugged. "I believe Her Highness is waiting for you both."

*****

The throne room had emptied out a little when Toroki led Suzuno in to meet the Empress. Before, she had been wearing a simple but elegant silk dress. Now she wore the extravagant robes of an Empress. Her long black hair was pulled back tightly into a long braid and hidden under a small crown. However, Jianna now looked far less comfortable than she had before. Toroki got the feeling that she didn't wear the 'official' clothes of Royalty except when she absolutely had to. She smiled as they approached; the same friendly, welcoming smile she had given Toroki the day they met. 

Toroki bowed before her, gesturing for Suzuno to follow suit, which she did. Jianna smiled. "Leave us, please." She said to her advisors. They bowed and filed out of the throne room, leaving Toroki and Suzuno alone with the Empress. 

As soon as they were gone, Jianna stood up. "Now quit all the bowing and scraping and 'Your Highness' business Toroki." She said. "It's embarrassing." Toroki smiled and stood up, just in time to receive another warm embrace from Jianna. "I really am glad to see you again, Toroki."

"Me too, High...Jianna." Toroki said, stumbling a bit over the informal address.

Jianna released him and turned to Suzuno. "And you are the Priestess of Byakko, right?"

"I...don't know." Suzuno said. "I was hoping you could tell me."

"All right then." Jianna replied. She took hold of Suzuno's shoulders and looked into her eyes. "You are the Priestess of Byakko."

"Huh?"

"You're the only one who can decide if you are the Priestess or not." Jianna explained. "All you need do is accept the duties of the Priestess."

"Duties?" Suzuno asked. "I can't do duties. I have to get back to _my world."_

"And you can." Jianna assured her. "The mission of the Priestess is to gather the Seven Warriors of Byakko. Once you have done that, Byakko will grant you three wishes. _Any three wishes."_

"You can wish for Byakko to send you home." Toroki said.

**_Well this is just typical. I work my fingers to the bone in the archives every day for *Eleven Years* trying to find out where and when the Priestess of Byakko will appear. And then you come along and trip over her in a field!_**

"KARASUKI!" Toroki turned to see his old friend standing in the doorway. At least, he was fairly sure it was Karasuki. The man before him had the same light blue hair and gray eyes as when he was a child. But now the hair was cut short and the eyes were hidden behind a tiny pair of spectacles. Karasuki now looked...respectable. A far cry from the unkempt boy Toroki had made friends with eleven years before. "What on Earth did they do to you?"

"They sent me to live with a librarian." Karasuki answered. "It's good to see you again." Toroki nodded in agreement. "So you found our Priestess?"

Toroki nodded again and gestured to Suzuno. "Karasuki, meet Oosugi Suzuno, the Priestess of Byakko."

"Priestess." Karasuki bowed. "It's an honor to finally meet you."

"Perhaps you could explain to Suzuno exactly what it means to be Priestess, Karasuki." Jianna suggested.

"Of course, Highness." He turned to Suzuno. "If you'll come with me Priestess, I'll explain everything." He led Suzuno out of the throne room, leaving Toroki alone with Jianna.

"How have you been, Toroki?" She asked.

"I've been all right." Toroki said. "I...heard about your father. I'm sorry. He was a great man."

Jianna hung her head and nodded slightly. "Thank you."

Toroki hesitated before asking his next question. "How long until the attack? Will we have time to find the others?"

Jianna hesitated even more before answering. 

"I hope so." She finally said. "But I don't know."

*****

"The Heavens above us are divided into four quadrants. Each contains seven of the twenty-eight cardinal points, represented by constellations. Here in the West, the Seven Stars are Tokaki, Toroki, Amefuri, Karasuki, Subaru, Kokie, and Tatara; all guarded by Byakko, the White Tiger of the West. The North, East, and South have their own Guardian Gods; Genbu, Seiryu, and Suzaku, respectively, each with their own seven star signs." Karasuki explained. "When a Priestess from another world gathers the seven Celestial Warriors of one of the Gods together, she can summon that God. Your task is to find the remaining five Warriors of Byakko. Do you understand?"

"I think so." Suzuno said. "I have to find five more people before I can go home."

"That's right." Toroki walked briskly into the room followed by the Empress. "And we have to move fast. There's no time to lose."

"What do you mean, Toroki?" Suzuno asked. "I mean, I'm anxious to get home, but you act like it's life-or-death."

"It may very well be, Priestess." The Empress said.

"Kutou?" Karasuki asked.

Toroki nodded. "They're beginning to move again."

"Two more villages fell last night."

"I must have missed something." Suzuno said, taking in the grim expressions on her companions' faces. "What's Kutou?"

"Kutou is the nation to the east of Sairo." Jianna said. "They used to be peaceful, but then one of their generals took over and declared himself Emperor. Since then, they've been waging war on the countries around them. Now they're coming here. They've already begun attacking small towns on their way here. Soon, they will attack Sairo itself."

"That's how I knew you had to be the Priestess." Toroki said. "A girl from another world who appeared just when we needed you the most."

"Needed me?"

"Yes." Jianna said. "Our own army cannot stand against Kutou. Only the power of Byakko can save us now. That is why you must find the remaining five Celestial Warriors as quickly as possible. Please, I beg of you."

"All right." Suzuno said. "I'll do it. I'll be your Priestess. But how are we going to find the other five Warriors."

"With this." Karasuki said, taking a small scroll from the table. "This was given to the first Emperor of Sairo by Taiitsukun. It is Byakko's Universe of the Four Gods."

"Universe of the Four Gods?" Suzuno exclaimed. "But that's the book that brought me to this world!"

Karasuki shook his head. "This is not the complete Universe of the Four Gods." He said. "It only pertains to our God, Byakko. It contains clues as to where the Warriors of Byakko may be found, and instructions for the ceremony to summon Byakko."

"So this scroll tells us where the other Warriors are?" Suzuno asked. "Great! Let's go find them!"

"Uh...it's...not exactly that simple." Karasuki said.

"Huh?" 

"The scroll contains _clues about the identities of the Warriors of Byakko. It doesn't come right out and say where they are. For example; it says that Karasuki will be found 'in a house of knowledge'." He gestured at the stacks of books and scrolls around them. "As you can see; true, but not what you'd call descriptive. And the scroll itself is written in an ancient dialect, so translating it is also difficult."_

"Oh, this is hopeless!" Suzuno cried. "Is there any good news?"

"Well, yes." Karasuki said. "I think I know where we should look for the next Warrior."

"Where?" Toroki asked.

"Look here." Karasuki pointed to a section of the scroll. "'In the southern kingdom, you will find the lord of all things that grow in the earth, Tatara.' I believe we should start looking for Tatara in Konan."

"Of course!" Jianna said. "'The southern kingdom'. That must be Konan!"

"We should leave as soon as Suzuno is ready to travel." Toroki said.

"Right now!" Suzuno said. "I'm ready now!"

"But Suzuno, you're ankle..." Toroki said.

"It's okay, really." Suzuno assured him. "Honestly, it feels much better now." _Actually it hurts just to move. But I can't let them know that, or they'll want to stay here until it gets better. Then we'll never find the others before Kutou attacks. "Come on! We have to go to Konan and find Tatara!"_

*****

**The Priestess of Byakko urged her Warriors, Toroki and Karasuki to hurry. The very next day, they set out for the Empire of Konan. Little did they know that the Emperor of Kutou had been informed of her arrival. The Priestess was walking into a trap!**

"Suzuno! Don't go! It's a trap." Takao found himself yelling at the book even though he knew Suzuno could not here him. He would have to count on Toroki and Karasuki to protect her. And they were just characters in a damn book!

_Please be careful Suzuno. Karasuki, Toroki; take care of her._

*****

To Be Continued

*****


	3. A Reluctant Warrior

* * * * * 

***** 

Disclaimer: Blah, blah, blah...It's not mine...yada, yada, yada...property of Yuu Watase, Flower Comics, and Shogakukan...ACCs are mine...etcetera etcetera...you get the idea.

*****

Author's note (1 of 3): As always, my info is from http://garuby.com/byakkoGo there.

*****

Author's note (2 of 3): Just a quick note on ages before we begin. The main issue here is Suzuno's age. The only place I've ever seen it written had her at 15 with a '?'. However I decided to put her age slightly closer to Tatara's. Here are the ages of the major characters so far....

Suzuno- 17

Toroki- 16

Karasuki- 22

Jianna- 16

Hope that makes things clearer.

*****

Author's note (3 of 3): This is to apologize for the extraordinary lateness of this chapter. I got caught up in other stuff and then I had to devote a lot of time to training for my new job. And then when I finally got the chapter finished, the site was messed up and I couldn't post it. I sincerely apologize for the delay and promise to beat myself with reeds and try harder next time.

*****

**In The Beginning...**

A Fushigi Yuugi Prequel 

By: 18th Angel

*****

Chapter Three A Reluctant Warrior 

*****

*****

Takao had been up all night reading the strange book that had abducted his daughter. His eyes ached from reading in the attic's dim light. Finally, around midnight, he moved into the kitchen downstairs, where the light was brighter. Before reading again, he began boiling a pot of water to make the strongest tea he could. He needed the caffeine. There was no way he was going to let himself sleep while Suzuno was still inside the book.

With the water heating on the stove, he sat down at the kitchen table and opened the book.

**The next day, the Priestess of Byakko set out with her Warriors, Toroki and Karasuki, to find the third Warrior of Byakko, Tatara. Little did they know that danger lay on the road ahead...**

*****

"These are the best horses in Sairo." Jianna said. "With these, you should reach Konan in a few days."

"Are you sure you're ready to travel again?" Toroki asked.

Suzuno sighed and gave him an exasperated smile. "I keep telling you; yes!" She appreciated Toroki's concern but there were too many reasons why she had to summon Byakko as soon as possible. She couldn't let a hurt ankle slow her down. "Besides, we'll be riding anyway." She added.

"If you say so." Toroki relented, climbing up into his own saddle. "Let's get going."

"We're going to take a slightly longer path." Karasuki said. "It's a less traveled road so we won't be as likely to run into any trouble." He reached over and handed Toroki a small sword. "You know how to use one of these?"

"Uh, yeah." Toroki replied, attaching the sword to his saddle. "I get the basic concept. Where's yours?"

"Don't need one." Karasuki replied with a smile. "I'm not really that good with them either."

"Good luck, Priestess." Jianna said. "We will all be praying for you."

*****

"Are you sure this is a good idea, Your Highness?" Her chief advisor asked as the three figures disappeared into the distance.

Jianna sighed. "It's a little late to be having a better idea now Liu." She said.

"Please Highness, I meant no disrespect." The older man said. "But a farm boy and a librarian hardly seem adequate to protect the Priestess of Byakko. Especially when so many of our hopes rest on her shoulders."

"They are Warriors of Byakko. He will protect them." Jianna replied. "Or have you no faith in Him either?"

"I'm not sure I understand the implication you are making, Highness."

Jianna sneered at that. "I'm not so young and unfit a ruler that I don't know what is said about me while my back is turned, Liu."

"I'm sure I don't know what you mean, Highness." He feigned ignorance. "I would never question your abilities..."

"Good." Jianna cut him off. "Because while your own thoughts about who should be in power and how they should wield it is your own business; the fact remains that _I am in power. And as long as I am, I will rule in whatever way I feel is best." She turned and stormed back into the palace, leaving her advisor alone in the courtyard. _

"And you will drag us all down with you." He muttered before following his Empress into the palace.

*****

The dirt road was just barely wide enough for the three of them to travel side by side. Suzuno rode in the center, with Toroki and Karasuki on either side. There weren't supposed to be any Kutou soldiers along this route, but her Warriors weren't taking any chances. They road all day without incident. When night began to fall, they made camp by a small lake, ate a light supper, and went to sleep.

A sudden noise woke Suzuno in the middle of the night. She sat up, alarmed, and glanced around for the source of the noise. She relaxed when she heard it again. One of the logs in their fire, now little more than a patch of embers, had snapped. She was about to go back to sleep when she noticed someone sitting on a large log by the fire. She immediately recognized Karasuki; not from his face, in the dim light it was impossible to see that much detail, but from the orange light reflecting off of his glasses.

"Karasuki?" She asked.

Karasuki jumped slightly, startled. "Oh, Suzuno." He said. "Did I wake you up?"

"No. It was just the fire." She replied. "What are you doing?" 

"Just keeping watch." Karasuki said.

"Mind if I join you?"

"Go ahead." He smiled, sliding over to give her space on the log to sit down.

"So...." Suzuno searched for something to say. "Where do you think we should start looking for Tatara?" She finally asked. "Once we reach Konan, I mean."

Karasuki sighed. "I don't know." He admitted. "The Scroll isn't very specific about _where in the southern kingdom we'll find him. And Konan is a really big place. Even bigger than Sairo." He grinned sheepishly. "Actually, I'm sort of looking forward to spending a few days there."_

"Really?"

"Well, I'm kind of a curious guy." Karasuki explained. "I've always wanted to travel the world and see new things. But the only places I've ever been allowed to go are in Sairo. I've always just used reading as a substitute for the real thing. I think I've spent most of my life in the archives at the Palace, just reading. Anything I could get my hands on."

Suzuno laughed softly. "A man after my own heart." She said.

"What do you mean?" Karasuki asked.

"I've always been into books and libraries and things like that." She said. "My friend..." Her voice caught slightly. "Takiko...well she used to say that the only way she could spot me in a crowd was to look for a book instead of a face." She looked down, frowning. "That's...actually what got me into all of this. I was just looking for something to read and...I _really picked the wrong book."_

Karasuki seemed to frown at that.

"Oh, I'm sorry." Suzuno said quickly. "I didn't mean it like that. This world is beautiful. It's just..." She trailed off, pushing back tears.

"I know." Karasuki said sympathetically. "You miss your home. I know how you must feel. You see; when I was young, much younger than you are now, I had to leave my home and live in, for all intents and purposes, a different world. So...I know how you feel." He smiled. "And don't worry. I promise I'll help you get back to your home."

"Thank you Karasuki."

He smiled. "You should go back to sleep now." He said gently. "We're riding all day tomorrow."

*****

"When you said 'all day' I didn't think you meant like this." Suzuno said, trying desperately not to fall asleep, as that would involve tumbling off of her horse and probably injuring herself again.

"Yeah." Toroki said around a yawn. "It's not day until the roosters start crowing. Don't you know that?"

"You've been on that farm too long, Toroki." Karasuki said cheerfully. "The day begins at sunrise." He pointed the brilliant red orb climbing steadily up the horizon. "As you can see; clearly daytime."

"Fine." Toroki relented. "But tomorrow 'morning' _you get to wake up Suzuno." He added, rubbing the small bruise on his cheek._

"I said I was sorry about that." Suzuno said. "I'm not a morning person." Even as she said it, Suzuno realized what a complete understatement she was making. Her need for what her father jokingly referred to as 'beauty sleep' was perhaps her greatest vice, even more so than her addiction to the printed page. To put it another way, the small alarm clock next to her bed back home was probably the single most abused piece of clockwork in the entire world.

The only time when Suzuno ever tended toward violence occurred within the few minutes directly after she woke up in the morning; as poor Toroki had learned the hard way.

"Anyway, we should reach Konan by the end of the day." Karasuki said. "You'll probably sleep better in a real bed." There was a note of hopefulness in his voice. Clearly he was not looking forward to the next morning. 

Suzuno was about to say something in her own defense when they suddenly came to the edge of the woods and saw a wide, fast river blocking their path. A narrow bridge spanned the river. On the bridge, a lone man waited for them. 

"Damn." Toroki whispered, letting his hand drift slowly toward his sword. 

"Get that hand back where I can see it!" A voice behind them said harshly. Toroki swore again under his breath and quickly moved his hand back to his horse's reins.

"What's going on?" Suzuno asked.

"Bandits." Karasuki whispered back. 

"Stay between us, Suzuno." Toroki said.

"What is this?" Karasuki yelled at the bandit on the bridge. "Some kind of private bridge?"

"Not exactly." The thin man replied. "This here's a toll bridge. If ya wanna cross, you'd better have some money on 'ya."

"Hey Chang!" The bandit behind them called to his partner on the bridge. "Take a look at this girl!"

The man named Chang seemed to study Suzuno for a moment. He whistled softly. "Looks like today's our lucky day." He said, grinning. "Never mind the money. We'll just take that girl off your hands. How's that sound?"

"Like hell you will!" Toroki yelled.

"Calm down, Toroki." Karasuki said softly. "If you want her that badly, then come get her."

"Karasuki? What are you doing?" Suzuno asked. 

**_Don't worry. Karasuki's voice echoed in her mind. _****_Just play along. When I tell you, hit the ground. You get all that Toroki? In the corner of her eye, Suzuno saw Toroki nod._**

"Get down off that horse!" The lead bandit ordered her. She looked at Karasuki. He nodded.

*****

**Reluctantly, the Priestess climbed down to the ground and stood before the bandit. The other bandit came around from behind them and stood next to his partner. **

** **

**Takao sat hunched over the book, reading each new word as soon as it became visible. He gripped the edges of the book tightly and strained his eyes, as if doing so would somehow make the words appear more quickly. **

**Standing there, the Priestess felt fear creep into her. All she could do now was trust in Karasuki and wait for his signal.**

*****

_I sure hope you know what you're doing, Karasuki. Toroki thought._

**_Have some faith._**

Karasuki gave the bandits a placating smile and pointed to the bandage around Suzuno's ankle.

"As you can see, the lady is injured." He said. "She's in no condition to walk, I'm afraid. One of you will have to help her."

The lead bandit nodded at his partner. "Go get her." He said.

*****

The other bandit began advancing toward Suzuno. She had to fight the urge to turn and run. Her only chance was to trust Karasuki. Before she knew it, the big man was right in front of her, reaching out to grab her.

**_NOW!!!!!_**

Suzuno didn't have time to think, so she acted instead. She threw herself to the ground and the bandit's hands closed on empty space. An instant later she felt something pass quickly over her head. The bandit gasped as if he had been kicked in the stomach. Suzuno looked up just in time to see him fly through the air, past his bewildered partner, and splash down into the river.

Before the other bandit could react, he too was thrown through the air. Luckily for him, a large tree blocked his path to the river.

Suzuno heard someone moving behind her. In the blink of an eye, Toroki was off his horse, standing over the bandit with his sword drawn. He leaned over and poked the man in the stomach with the tip of the sword, just hard enough to wake him up.

"Go. Away." Toroki growled.

The bandit nodded and ran away as fast as he could, throwing a backward glance at Toroki every few paces, as if he expected the younger man to give chase.

Toroki sighed walked over to Suzuno. He smiled and helped her to her feet. 

"That was a pretty neat trick, Karasuki." He said.

"I told you I didn't need a sword." The older man replied.

"Wait a minute." Suzuno said. "_You did that?"_

Karasuki smiled. "Well mind reading only takes you so far in this world." 

"Impressive." A third voice called out from behind them. "Telepathy, Psychic Attacks. These are the powers of Karasuki of the Byakko Seven, correct?"

They turned to see a tall, thin man dressed in black. He wore a long cape whose collar covered his face, leaving only his eyes exposed. 

Toroki immediately stepped in front of Suzuno, drawing his sword. Karasuki also leaped off of his horse and stood between the man and Suzuno.

"Oh please." The man in black sneered. "If I'd been sent here to kill your precious Priestess, she'd already be dead. And you're only fooling yourself if you think that sword of yours could stop me, boy."

"Come here and find out!" Toroki yelled.

"You'd like that, wouldn't you? A chance to show the Priestess how big and strong you are." He laughed. "I suppose you think you're pretty heroic. But remember this, boy; heroes often die young."

And then he was gone. He didn't turn and walk away, or fade into the shadows of the forest. He was simply there one instant and gone the next. 

"Damn." Karasuki muttered. "I thought we'd get a little further before they caught on to us."

"Who was that?" Suzuno asked.

"Kutou assassin." Toroki said bitterly. "Sadistic bastards. All of them."

"Hey, watch the farmhand language." Karasuki said, smiling. "There's a lady present."

"You can call a rat by a nicer name but it'll still be a rat so you might as well call it what it is." Toroki replied. "The same principal applies here."

"You sure you aren't just mad because he called you 'boy'?" Karasuki asked.

"What the hell's the matter with you?" Toroki asked furiously. "Would you _please take this seriously? There are assassins after Suzuno! Doesn't that disturb you?"_

"Of course it does." Karasuki replied. "But you saw that guy. We wouldn't stand a chance, and you know it. The best thing we can do for Suzuno is find the other five Warriors as soon as we can. And that means moving on and finding Tatara, not standing here worrying about things we can't control."

"Karasuki's right." 

Toroki and Karasuki turned to look at Suzuno, as if they had forgotten she was even there. She smiled, trying to look brave. "If they're sending assassins, then we must be on the right track." She said. "All we have to do is find the others and then Byakko will take care of Kutou for us, right?"

Karasuki nodded.

"All right then!" Suzuno said. "Let's go find Tatara!"

*****

Two hours later, Suzuno and Toroki sat at a small table in the far corner of a dimly lit tavern. 

"Alright." Karasuki said, approaching them from across the room. "The owner says there's some kind of strange hermit living out past the edge of town."

"...I mean where does he get off calling me that?" Toroki asked Suzuno, who had spent the past few minutes nodding in what she hoped was a sympathetic way. "You know; where I come from, I've been a man for years. Guys my age are usually married by now."

"Hey, did you hear me?" Karasuki asked as he sat down. "I think we should go see this guy."

"You think this hermit is Tatara?" Suzuno asked.

"Well rumor has it that he's made crops grow in the middle of winter. I think that alone makes it worth looking into."

"Well let's go."

*****

The house, if you could call it that, was little more than an assortment of stones that were somehow precariously stacked upon one another to form four walls. Hundreds of thin vines crept up the walls, weaving in and out between the stones. They twisted and held each other at the top, forming a tightly woven canopy of green that served as the shack's roof.

"This must be the place." Karasuki said as they approached the tiny dwelling.

They hesitated at the open doorway. The house was too dark for them to see into it.

"Should we knock?" Suzuno asked.

"On what?" Toroki replied. "If we touch any of these rocks, the whole place might cave in."

"Hello?" Suzuno called into the darkness. "Is anyone home?"

"Who's there?" A man's voice answered. "I'm around back." He added a second later.

They rounded the house and saw a figure crouching in a small patch of vegetables, his back to them. He seemed to be pulling weeds out of the ground.

"Um...hello?" Suzuno asked again.

The man stood up, brushed the dirt off his knees and turned to face them. Standing, he was a few inches taller than Suzuno. His long, brown hair covered the left side of his face almost completely. The visible parts of his face, however, were simply stunning. His face, though not exactly delicate, certainly didn't bear the rough features one expected to see on a hermit living in the wilderness. 

"Hello." The man said, favoring them with a smile. "Can I help you?"

"Uh...I...uh...we were..." Suzuno stammered. "Do you have any strange markings on your body?" She finally blurted out.

"That's rather a personal question, isn't it?" The gardener asked.

"Perhaps I can explain." Karasuki said, stepping forward. He gestured to Suzuno. "This girl is the Priestess of Byakko. Toroki."

Toroki stepped forward and rolled up his sleeve to reveal the mark on his wrist. Karasuki unbuttoned his own shirt and slid it halfway down his shoulders. For the first time, Suzuno got a look at Karasuki's symbol. The "Investigator" Kanji glowed brilliant white directly between his shoulder blades. Karasuki turned around so the man could see his mark.

"I get it." The gardener said. "I can live out here and make things grow, so I must be a Warrior of Byakko, right?"

"You mean...?" Suzuno asked.

The handsome man shook his head sympathetically. "I'm just a normal farmer. I'm sorry you came all this way for nothing."

*****

Long after the Priestess and her Warriors had disappeared from sight, Kasaru stood alone in his small garden. Slowly, he removed the glove on his right hand and turned it over. The symbol was there, dull gray, just as it had been all his life. But Kasaru was willing to bet that, had he looked a minute or two earlier, the mark would have glowed white, just as the others' had. 

_That symbol is a Divine Gift. It means that you are special, that one day you will defend the Priestess of Byakko. When she appears to you, you must do everything in your power to keep her from harm. You exist to protect her._

"Damn it." He muttered. Without a backward glance, he set off into the woods after his visitors.

*****

"I don't get it. That guy _must be Tatara."_

"Why would he lie?" Toroki asked.

"I don't know." Karasuki replied. "But who else could build a house like that? You saw those vines. They were holding the place up."

They had stopped by the river to rest. Suzuno wasn't sure whether she agreed with Karasuki or Toroki. The man _did seem very anxious to get rid of them once they mentioned Byakko. But why would a Celestial Warrior lie and pretend he wasn't one?_

Since she couldn't decide which side of the argument she was on, she decided to stay out of it. She sat down on the bank and stared at the water.

A minute or two later, she heard Toroki and Karasuki getting ready to move out again. She stood and headed back to where they were, but she barely made it three steps before something snagged her foot. 

She cried out and fell forward. An instant later, she felt a something strong pulling her back toward the river. She turned and saw a huge head sticking out of the water. 

Suzuno's first thought was that a huge frog had grabbed her. The tongue wrapped around her leg certainly looked like a frog's. But the head attached to the tongue was not that of a frog. The creature had an elongated snout, like a crocodile, and huge, serrated teeth. Its eyes were bloodshot and had a wild look to them. This was no animal. She was staring at a monster.

Suzuno wanted to scream, but her throat was paralyzed by the sight of the impossible beast. She couldn't make a sound. Slowly, the monster drew its huge tongue in, pulling her toward its gaping maw. 

_Help! __HELP!! She tried to scream, but the best she could manage was a strangled whisper. It was no good. She was going to die. Suzuno squeezed her eyes shut and waited to feel the monster's jaws close around her._

Suddenly, a deafening *CRACK* rang out. Suzuno recognized the sound. Someone had just cracked a whip. There was another *CRACK* and the pressure on her leg released. Suzuno opened her eyes and saw the strangest sight yet. The frog-monster was being held at bay by a vine.

The thin green vine waved back and forth in front of the monster. Suddenly it jerked like a whip being snapped, though no hand held it. Once again, a deafening *CRACK* echoed across the river. 

The monster reared back from the snapping vine, retreating to the river. But it found no safety there. As it backed away, a dozen more vines rose from the water and began wrapping themselves around its body. The creature tried to shake free but the vines held it fast and dragged it deeper and deeper into the river. Within seconds, the monster had vanished completely. As soon as the threat was gone, Suzuno found her voice and screamed. 

"Are you injured Priestess?" 

Suzuno fell silent and turned to face the speaker. It was the gardener. 

"You?" Was all she could say.

"SUZUNO!" Toroki and Karasuki burst out of the woods. Toroki had his sword drawn and Karasuki seemed ready to unleash one of his psychic attacks at a moment's notice.

"Suzuno, are you alright?" Toroki asked. He suddenly realized they were not alone and, putting two and two together, came to the wrong conclusion. "You!" He yelled. "What did you do to her?"

"I saved her." The gardener said calmly. "Your Priestess was about to be eaten by a monster."

"What monster?" Toroki demanded. "I don't see any monsters around here!"

"Well it's drowning on the bottom of the river right now if you want to go take a look."

"And leave you alone with her again? Not likely!"

"Stop it Toroki!" Suzuno demanded. "It's the truth. There was a monster and...he saved me."

"Who are you?" Karasuki asked.

"Exactly who you thought I was." The handsome man held up his right hand. On the back of his hand, radiating brilliant white light was the "Lasso" Kanji.

"Tatara." Karasuki said. "Why did you lie before?"

"I had my reasons." Tatara said.

"You want to explain your 'reasons'?" Toroki demanded.

"No." Tatara said. He turned to Suzuno, leaving Toroki fuming. "Priestess. I apologize for deceiving you. And I pledge my life to you. Will you accept my service?"

*****

**The man named Tatara stood before the Priestess of Byakko and pledged his undying service to her.**

** **

**_Three down, four to go. Takao thought. Each new warrior brought Suzuno one step closer to home. But one thought kept nagging at him. What then? What if the same thing happened to Suzuno that had happened to Takiko? Was there any way he could save her? What he really needed was a chance to look through Einosuke's notes, but he dared not tear his eyes from the Book, even for a minute. _**

He needed a partner. Someone to read for him; to keep an eye on Suzuno while he examined his friend's notes. But whom could he trust? Who would even believe him?

*****  
To Be Continued...

*****


	4. A Snake in the Grass

* * * * *

*****

Legal Stuff: well, a very talented Japanese woman created Fushigi Yuugi. As I am neither Japanese, nor a woman (currently withholding judgment on the 'very talented' part), I can say with some certainty that Fushigi Yuugi is not my property. 

*****

Author's Note: My information on the names of the Byakko Seven and the locations of their symbols comes from "Byakko no Shijin Tenchisho" at http://garuby.com/byakko/

I suggest you take a look there; it's quite nice.

*****

*****

**In The Beginning...**

A Fushigi Yuugi Prequel

By: 18th Angel

*****

**Chapter One**

A Snake in the Grass

*****

*****

Takao was struggling to stay awake. He had promised himself that he would not sleep as long as Suzuno remained inside the book, but now he found himself nodding off every few minutes and had to force himself not to rest his head on the table and surrender to unconsciousness. 

Sleep was tugging at him once again when he heard the front door open. He sat up, urgently hiding the book underneath the table. The last thing he could afford right now was a visitor. 

Someone was making their way down the hallway toward the kitchen, humming quietly. Suddenly, he recognized the voice. It was Miss Izaki. Izaki Megumi had been their housekeeper and a friend of the family for years. She always came in on Saturdays, but Takao had been so involved in reading, he hadn't even thought about what day it was.

"Oh, Mr. Oosugi." She said as she entered the kitchen. "I didn't expect to see you." Takao nodded. He usually worked on Saturdays, so rarely saw Miss Izaki. "Feeling sick?"

A thought struck Takao. Should he tell Miss Izaki about what had happened? She loved Suzuno almost as much as he did. Assuming that she believed him, she would certainly want to help. She could read while he looked through Einosuke's notes. But would she believe him? He finally decided that it was worth the risk.

"Uh...actually, I need to tell you something, Miss Izaki?"

"Oh? What's that?"

Takao sighed. "You'd better sit down first."

*****

Megumi sat, stunned, as Mr. Oosugi spoke. At first she was skeptical, until she saw the book; saw the words writing themselves, and the pictures that looked just like Suzuno.

"If I hadn't seen this with my own eyes..." She whispered.

"You wouldn't have believed it. I know." He said. "I didn't really believe it myself. If I had...I wouldn't have let Suzuno anywhere near that book. I wouldn't have even brought it into this house."

"It's not your fault." Megumi said gently. "You couldn't have known that she would find it."

"I know. But that doesn't make me feel any better." 

"Do you really think that if she finds all seven of these warriors, she can just wish her way back here?" Megumi asked.

"I think so." He said. "But I want to look through Einosuke's notes. That's why I need you to read."

"Of course." She said without hesitation. "I'll do anything I can to help you."

"Thank you, Miss Izaki."

She smiled gently. "Given the circumstances, I think it's alright if you call me Megumi." She said.

He returned her smile. "In that case, call me Takao."

"It's a deal." She replied. "Now go find those notes."

After Takao disappeared into his study, Megumi sat down and opened the ancient leather book. She found the newest passage and began reading.

**The man named Tatara stood before the Priestess of Byakko and pledged his undying service to her.**

*****

"Will you accept my service, Priestess?" Tatara asked.

"I...of course." Suzuno said, still stunned by the sudden turn of events.

Tatara bowed slightly and turned to Toroki, who was still eyeing him suspiciously. "Truce?" He held out his hand, the hand that glowed with the symbol of a Byakko Warrior. It was the symbol that did it. Toroki crossed the space between them and took the offered hand firmly.

"I'm sorry I doubted you." He said.

Tatara smiled. "I would have done the same, had out positions been reversed."

*****

They had decided to turn around and head back to Sairo. Tatara hung back from the group, riding in silence. Suzuno pulled on her reins, dropping back to ride beside him.

"Um...are you okay, Tatara?" She asked tentatively.

"Hmmm?" He turned to her, smiling. "Oh. I'm fine, thank you Priestess."

Somehow, just that smile was enough to make Suzuno blush. She felt her cheeks heating up and looked away. "You can...call me Suzuno." She finally said.

"Suzuno..." He began. "I'm...sorry."

"Huh? What for?"

"I should have told you who I really was right from the start."

"You said you had reasons." Suzuno reminded him. "It's okay."

Tatara shook his head. "No. It's not okay. If I had gone with you right from the start, that thing would never have attacked you. And if I had waited, even a minute longer, before I came after you... No reason can make that okay."

"Tatara..." Suzuno began.

But Tatara seemed intent on punishing himself. "I was born to protect you. And instead...I almost let you get killed!"

"Stop it!" She said forcefully. "What's important is that you followed us, and you saved my life. You made the right choice."

"Yes." He reluctantly agreed. "I suppose I did."

Suzuno smiled. "Good, we're agreed then. So stop beating yourself up."

*****

Because of their delay at the river, the travelers only made it halfway to Sairo before nightfall. They found a small village along the main road and made their way to the inn. As the night outside grew chilly, Suzuno felt glad to be in the inn's warm tavern.

Suddenly, the front door burst open, letting in a rush of cold air. All eyes in the tavern turned to the door, including those of Suzuno and her Warriors. Three large, burly men stepped in, slamming the door behind them.

"Where is the one called Lan-uan?" The largest of the men bellowed. "We saw you come in here! Show yourself, you little weasel!" He yelled across the room.

"Hey!" A voice spoke from the far corner. "You can't just go around callin' people names. It ain't polite."

"I knew you were in here, you son of a bitch!"

The three men pushed their way through the crowded tavern and sat down at the table in the far corner. Their huge backs blocked Suzuno's view of whomever they were speaking to.

"I challenge you Lan-uan!"

"Right now?" The other voice asked. "I'm in the middle of dinner here." A plate and cup went flying across the bar. "Well." The mysterious man said. "Problem solved, I guess."

"I challenge you to avenge the honor of my family!"

"Uh...what? Could you run that by me again?"

"Don't play games you bastard! You robbed my sister of her virtue!"

"Oh, that!" The other man chuckled. "Her idea all the way, friend. But you can take comfort in knowin' that it's not entirely her fault. Women of much greater integrity than hers have been known to lose control around me."

"I'LL KILL YOU!"

The big man brought his fist down on the other man's head, but his target was no longer seated. A tall, handsome young man with long, white hair shot up out of the chair, flipped over his attacker's head, and landed on the table. The chair he had been seated in collapsed under the force of the big man's punch.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk." The young man scolded. "Breakin' the furniture won't get your family's honor back."

The big guy spun around "How did you...? Argh! Grab him!"

The small man ducked as the big guy's sidekicks rushed for him. Their heads collided with a dull 'THUD'. Both men fell over, out cold.

"Fine!" The big man yelled. "I do it myself!"

The younger man rolled his golden eyes stepped deftly out of the path of another punch. The next minute or so passed the same way. Every time his attacker would throw a punch, the young man simply stepped out of the way or ducked under it. 

"Listen." He said between punches. "I only..._borrowed...your sister's...virtue. I'll...give it back...I promise."_

"Quit jumping around and fight me like a man, you coward!"

Something flashed across the young man's face at the word 'coward', something dangerous. As Suzuno watched, a dull, white glow appeared on his left cheek. He was moving too much for Suzuno to get a clear view of where the light was coming from. But what else could it be, except the mark of a Warrior?

The glow intensified. Suddenly, the young man's form blurred. When Suzuno blinked he was gone. A startled cry drew Suzuno's attention to the big man. The young man was behind him now! A swift kick sent the big guy flying across the room. The mysterious Warrior faded out of sight again, only to reappear in front of his opponent, stopping the man's flight with a punch in the stomach.

The Warrior stood over his fallen attacker. The big man tried to scoot backwards to get away.

"You're...you're a sorcerer!" He cried. "Forgive me, Milord! I didn't know!"

"How about this; pay for my dinner and the chair and we'll call it even." The Warrior suggested.

"Anything! Anything you wish! Just please don't hurt me!"

The younger man sighed. "Just get out of here, and take your friends with you." He said. The big man nodded and helped his companions scramble out of the bar. The Warrior shook his head and sat down at the bar.

Suzuno turned to her companions. "Did you see that?"

Tatara and Toroki shook their heads. Evidently, they had seen barroom brawls before and hadn't bothered to pay attention. Karasuki didn't seem to notice her question. He was looking frantically through the Universe of the Four Gods.

Suzuno decided it was worth taking a chance. She stood up and crossed the bar. The man was yelling at the bartender as she approached. "...I don't care if it _is glowin'! I need a drink!"_

"Um...excuse me." She said quietly. The young man didn't seem to hear her. "E...Excuse me." Still no response. She tapped the man on the shoulder, yelling over the din of the bar. "EXCUSE ME!"

The young man spun around. He was even more handsome up close. Not rugged like Toroki or gorgeous like Tatara. He had a wild, dangerous look about him. But it was the good kind of dangerous. Also up close she could she could clearly see the symbol on his left cheek. It was the "stride" Kanji. So he _was a Warrior._

"Uh...I was...wondering if I could talk to you."

The Warrior looked her up and down. Suzuno got the distinct impression that the man was undressing her with his eyes. She fought to keep from blushing. She was the Priestess of Byakko, after all. It wouldn't do to turn beet red every time she met one of her Warriors. The young man smiled gently.

"Listen sweetheart; much as I'd love to, one brawl a night is enough." He gestured to Tatara, Toroki, and Karasuki. "Besides, _your brothers look like they might actually put up a decent fight."_

"What?"

"No." He said. "I'm serious. Look, you're a very beautiful girl. Go give your love to a man who deserves it more than me."

"WHAT?" Suzuno's hand lashed out, catching the man off guard and leaving a dull red mark over his glowing white symbol. "I wasn't...propositioning you! You...you...PERVERT!"

"So...you just came over here to hit me?" The man asked, rubbing his cheek lightly.

"I came over here because I saw your symbol." She said. "I wanted you to come talk to me and my friends."

"Hmmm. You know, a little voice in the back of my head is tellin' me that no good can come from this." He shrugged. "But I can't help myself. You're too damn cute. Lead the way."

*****

"Warrior of Byakko?" Lan-uan asked. "I think you've got the wrong man."

"Not this _again." The youngest of the group, who looked like some kind of farm boy, groaned._

"Look." The girl, Suzuno, reached into her pocket and pulled out a small, round object. She unfolded the object, which opened like a seashell. Inside was some kind of skin-colored powder and a small mirror. 

Lan-uan looked in the mirror and saw that the mark on his cheek was indeed glowing softly. "So...you think I'm one of you...because of this?" He asked.

"That's the mark of Tokaki." The blue haired man said, pushing his glasses up and reading from a small scroll. "'A fighter without equal, his body is his greatest weapon'. Sounds pretty accurate to me."

"What do you people want?"

"We want you to come with us." The third man said. "You are a Warrior of Byakko. It's your duty to protect Suzuno, the Priestess of Byakko."

"Look, I go to the temple once a week, I say my prayers, and I donate my fair share of money. I think ol' Byakko's gettin' everything He has a right to expect from me." He moved to stand, but a hand on his arm stopped him.

"Please." The girl seemed on the verge of tears. "If you don't help us, we can't summon Byakko. And then...I won't..."

"The only way Suzuno can return to her world is through Byakko's power." The man with the long hair said. "If you are a man of honor, you will not refuse a lady in need."

The man had him there. "Tokaki, huh?" He asked. The scholar nodded. "Well better than Lan-uan I guess. Honestly, I don't know what my parents were thinkin'."

"You mean you will?" Suzuno's face lit up. That sight alone was worth it.

"Well I haven't got anything tyin' me down here." He flashed her his best smile. "And _you are just too hot for words. Count me in."_

*****

By late afternoon the next day, they had made it back to Sairo. Tatara and Tokaki were both in awe as they got their first look at the imperial palace. 

Jianna waited for them in the courtyard, dressed once again in her ceremonial robes. Her advisors stood behind her. It looked like the entire imperial court had been brought out to welcome the new Warrior of Byakko.

"Priestess." Jianna bowed. "Welcome back."

"Thank you, Your Highness." Suzuno replied. She indicated the two men on her left side. "These are Tatara and Tokaki."

"Warriors." Suzuno nodded to them. "Welcome." 

Tatara fell to one knee. Tokaki seemed content to simply stare at the Empress. Tatara's hand shot out catching Tokaki in the shin. Tokaki got the hint and knelt as well.

"Please come into the palace." Jianna said. "I want to hear all about your journey."

*****

"A Kutou assassin?" Jianna asked. "Are you sure?"

Karasuki nodded. "Apparently he was only there to spy on us. He threatened Toroki, but he didn't attack."

"He threatened you?" There was fear in Jianna's voice.

"He was just trying to scare us." Toroki said. "Don't worry about it. We only need three more warriors, and then we'll never have to worry about Kutou again."

"You're right." Jianna said. "Well, it's late. We should all get some sleep." Their conversation had lasted long into the night.

"I can escort you to your chamber, Highness." Tokaki said. "Just to make sure you get there safe."

Jianna smiled. "Thank you, kind sir. But I have bodyguards who do that."

Toroki suddenly stood up and stormed out of the room. Only Tokaki seemed oblivious to his departure.

"I could be a bodyguard." Tokaki insisted. "Sign me up."

"The Empress' royal guard is traditionally made up of eunuchs." Karasuki said.

"You know, on second thought, I'd better stick to guardin' Suzuno if it's all the same to you."

*****

Jianna followed Toroki out into the hallway.

"Toroki!"

Toroki turned when she spoke.

"Your Highness." He said.

"We've been over this before, Toroki." She said. "It's Jianna."

"You're the Empress." Toroki said. "I'm just a farmer's son. It wouldn't be right for me to call you by your name."

"What?" His tone surprised Jianna. Why was he being so cold all of a sudden? "Since when has that mattered?"

Toroki sighed. He seemed frustrated.

"What do you want from me?" He asked.

"What do I want?"

"Yes. What do you want? Friendship? Protection? ...Love?"

"I..." Jianna began.

"Because I know what I want from you." He said. "Love. I want to love you. And I know it can never happen. So please; you just keep being an Empress and I'll keep being a peasant. It hurts too much to pretend that we'll ever be anything else."

"Toroki..." But he was already gone, leaving Jianna surrounded by her guards, yet feeling utterly alone.

*****

Suzuno was on her way to her bedroom when she saw Tatara sitting in the palace gardens. She changed course, walking out into the garden and sitting down next to him.

Tatara jumped slightly when she sat down. "Suzuno!"

"Sorry." She said. "I didn't mean to startle you."

"It's all right." Tatara replied.

"Tatara...what made you change your mind?" She asked. "Why did you decide to come with us?"

Tatara hesitated. "I was...a child when I learned that I would be a Warrior of Byakko." He said. "I grew up in a monastery near Konan. One day, the Temple Master took me aside and told me what this symbol meant. He said; 'That symbol is a Divine Gift. It means that you are special, that one day you will defend the Priestess of Byakko. When she appears to you, you must do everything in your power to keep her from harm. You exist to protect her'. But he also told me that...my involvement with the Priestess would bring me great sadness."

Tatara sighed heavily. "It scared me. I was just a kid; all I wanted was to be a normal child. I didn't want a destiny if it meant giving up my own life and happiness to protect some girl from another world. As soon as I was old enough, I left the monastery and went to live in the wilderness, where no Priestess could ever find me." He smiled. "But you did."

"So...why did you decide to come with us?" 

"I...suppose I grew up." He said. "I realized that...it was selfish to refuse to help you simply because I was afraid of being hurt." He took her hand and once again, Suzuno felt a blush creep into her cheeks. What was it about Tatara, that just the touch of his hand could make her feel faint?

"I am your Warrior from now on, Suzuno." Tatara said. "No matter what happens to me, I will always be there for you."

*****

Tokaki let out a huge yawn. "Do we always get up this early?" He asked.

"We have a long ride ahead of us today." Toroki replied; his gaze fixed on the empty courtyard in front of them. 

"Where's everybody else?"

"Tatara's getting the horses. Karasuki's in the archives. And I think Suzuno's still asleep." Toroki replied. "In fact." He said with a grin. "If you want to, why don't you go wake her up?"

Tatara pondered that for a moment. Wake up Suzuno? That would mean going into her room, seeing her in...whatever she slept in.

"Yeah." He said without hesitation. "I could definitely handle that." This was shaping up to be a great day.

*****

"I can't believe you hit me _again!"_

"I'm sorry." Suzuno said for the hundredth time.

"You sent him to wake up Suzuno and you didn't _warn him?" Karasuki asked. _

Toroki shrugged, feigning innocence. "It must have slipped my mind."

"We're ready to go." Tatara said.

Toroki nodded absently. Something had been bothering him all morning. Something about the courtyard felt wrong somehow. In addition to speaking with animals, Toroki's gift also gave him the heightened senses of some of those creatures. And right now he smelled something wrong in the courtyard. 

After a few minutes he realized what he smelled, snake venom. But there were no snakes in the courtyard. The realization hit him just as Suzuno stepped out into the open courtyard.

"SUZUNO!" He cried, leaping for her. "LOOK OUT!"

*****

Suzuno had just stepped out into the sunlight when Toroki called her name. Before she knew what was happening, Toroki slammed into her, throwing her to the ground and covering her body with his. An instant later, his shoulder twitched, as if he had been stung by an insect. He rolled off of her and stood up, facing a tree at the far side of the courtyard. He made a move toward the tree but before he could take a single step he fell to hid knees, gasping for air. Suzuno could see a tiny dart imbedded in his shirt, piercing the fabric and the skin beneath.

"In...the tree..." Toroki struggled to yell. "Get...him!"

The other Warriors were too stunned to move, but when they spotted movement in the tree, Tokaki took action. He faded out of sight and reappeared in the tree, just in time to clock someone in the head. A large, black shape fell out of the tree. In the blink of an eye, Tokaki was on the ground, twisting the other man's arm behind his back until it nearly broke. Suzuno gasped in shock. It was the assassin who had threatened them!

A group of palace guards relieved Tokaki of his prisoner. As the dragged him away, they passed Toroki, who was lying on the ground, drenched in sweat and shivering uncontrollably.

"Like I said, boy." The assassin leaned over to whisper in Toroki's ear. "Heroes die young."

*****

**As the guards dragged the assassin away, Toroki cried out in agony. The assassin's dart had done its work well, sending its deadly venom coursing through his veins.**

Megumi lay the book down. How could she tell Takao? If Toroki died, then Suzuno could never come home. She threw a glance down the hall, where Takao was turning his study upside-down, looking for his friend's notebook.

For now, she decided, it was better not to tell him at all. There was nothing he could do to alter what happened in the book, and making him worry about it wouldn't help them. Sighing deeply, Megumi continued to read.

*****

To Be Continued

*****


	5. Suzuno's Decision

* * * * *

*****

Legal Stuff: well, a very talented Japanese woman created Fushigi Yuugi. As I am neither Japanese, nor a woman (currently withholding judgment on the 'very talented' part), I can say with some certainty that Fushigi Yuugi is not my property. 

*****

Author's Note: My information on the names of the Byakko Seven and the locations of their symbols comes from "Byakko no Shijin Tenchisho" at http://garuby.com/byakko/

I suggest you take a look there; it's quite nice.

*****

Author's Note (again): Okay, I feel very very bad. Looking over chapter four I noticed that I had made the mistake of saying 'Chapter One' in the title. I hate it when I do stupid things! Anyway, I just had to get that off my chest. Carry on.

*****

*****

**In The Beginning...**

A Fushigi Yuugi Prequel

By: 18th Angel

*****

**Chapter Five**

Suzuno's Decision

*****

*****

It was raining again. Big, fat drops of water pattered against the windowsill as Megumi waited for the next passage to appear in the book. She prayed that Toroki would be all right. What would they do if he died?

**Toroki cried out in pain as the deadly venom spread throughout his body.**

*****

"What happened to him?" Tokaki asked.

"I don't know!" Suzuno cried, barely holding back tears. "There's a dart in his shoulder! I think it's poison!"

"Let me see." Tatara knelt down. Taking a small knife, he cut the back of Toroki's shirt open. A small trickle of blood, more black than red, ran down his shoulder from the dart wound. The skin around the wound had turned a sickening green. Tatara positioned his knife over the wound, preparing to cut an 'X'.

"NO!" Toroki lashed out with one fist, knocking Tatara away.

"Toroki, we have to suck out the poison!" Tatara said.

"No..." Toroki had to struggle to speak. "It's...not normal poison. I think...they strengthened it...with magic...If you try...to suck it out...it could kill you too!" He fell back, exhausted, into Suzuno's arms. His eye's closed and he went limp.

"TOROKI!" Suzuno screamed. For a moment, she thought he had died, but his chest still rose and fell, albeit unsteadily. She turned to the others. "Go get a doctor."

Tokaki didn't even move. He simply faded from view. A minute later, he came running back into the courtyard with four of the royal physicians close behind him, carrying a stretcher.

Working quickly, the doctors lifted Toroki and placed him carefully on the stretcher. 

"Is he going to be all right?" The doctors didn't seem to hear Suzuno as they rushed back into the palace, taking Toroki's still form with them.

*****

They waited for hours outside Toroki's room. Karasuki sat in silence. Tokaki paced nervously. Suzuno leaned against Tatara for support, trying to act like she wasn't terrified. Jianna also seemed to be holding onto control by the thinnest of threads. She sat upright, rigid. The only signs of emotion on her face were the one or two tears that managed to escape from the corners of her eyes to run down her cheeks.

After what seemed like an eternity, the door opened and the head physician stepped into the hallway.

"How is he?" Jianna asked nervously.

"Lord Toroki has been...poisoned...quite severely." The doctor said. "The poison appears to be Cobra venom, but much stronger."

"Toroki said it was magical." Suzuno whispered.

The old man nodded. "We are using leeches to remove as much of the poison as we can, but we cannot get it all. If he were a normal man...he would already be dead. He has the soul of a tiger, part of his gift from Byakko. It helps him fight the poison...but he cannot fight it forever."

"How long...?" Jianna left the question hanging.

"If he stays in bed, and does not exert himself...a few months." The doctor said. "But if we cannot find a cure by then...Toroki will die."

With that pronouncement, Jianna finally broke down. She collapsed back into her chair, weeping.

"Is there an antidote to the poison?" Tatara asked.

"For the normal poison yes." The doctor replied. "We already tried it. No effect."

"So what are you gonna do?" Tokaki demanded.

"We are making him as comfortable as possible." The old man said. "Other than that, there's nothing we can do."

"But we can..." Suzuno whispered.

"What?" 

"If we can find the last three Warriors, we can use one of my wishes to cure Toroki." She said. "We have to try." Her Warriors nodded. Suzuno turned to the doctor. "Can I...go see him?" She asked.

"He's asleep right now." The doctor said. "But I suppose, just be quiet." Suzuno nodded and walked quietly into the room.

Toroki lay on his bed, the sheets were drawn up to his neck but he still shivered as if he were freezing. At the same time, sweat poured from his skin, soaking into the sheets. His tanned face was deathly pale, his red-brown hair plastered to his forehead. The doctor had said he was holding on, but looking at him there was no doubt in Suzuno's mind. Her friend was dying. Dying because he had taken a dart meant for her.

Fighting tears, Suzuno knelt down next to him. "Oh, Toroki." She whispered. "Why? Why did you do it?"

"For you." Suzuno turned to see Tatara, Karasuki, and Tokaki behind her. "He is a Warrior of Byakko. He did this to protect you, the Priestess of Byakko. And any one of us would have done the same." Tatara continued.

"You would...why?" Suzuno asked.

"It's what we were born to do." Karasuki replied.

"No." Suzuno shook her head. "No...I don't want this...I don't want any of you to get hurt...because of me." She got up and ran out of the room so they wouldn't see her cry.

*****

Tatara found Suzuno in the gardens, on the very same bench where they had sat the night before. She was hunched over, crying, trying unsuccessfully to keep her sobs quiet.

"Suzuno." She looked up when he spoke, tears glistening in her green eyes.

"How can you...be so calm about it?" She asked. 

"It's our destiny." Tatara said, sitting down next to her. "Some people spend their whole lives searching for a purpose, something to live for. We have one: you."

"But...it isn't right!" She sobbed. "I'm just...a nobody! I'm not worth dying for!"

"Toroki didn't think that." Tatara said. "You were worth more to him than his own life. And I feel the same way, and so does Karasuki." He smiled. "Even Tokaki. We all believe in you, Suzuno. We all love you."

"We have to save him, Tatara." Suzuno said. "He saved my life, I've just got to save his."

"I know." He put his arm around her shoulders, pulling her against his chest. "You will. We will."

*****

Jianna sat next to Toroki, watching his chest rise and fall steadily. The leeches had cleaned as much poison out of him as they could and his condition had improved slightly. He was no longer sweating or shivering.

As Jianna watched, Toroki's eyelids began to move. Slowly, he opened his eyes.

"Toroki?" She asked, joy flooding through her.

When he spoke, his voice barely came above a whisper. "Your...highness..." Her spirits came crashing back down as she remembered their conversation the night before. Toroki seemed to see her expression change. He looked away.

"...Jianna..." He said. "...What I said...last night...I didn't mean to...hurt you...I...never want...to hurt you...I want you...to be happy..." He paused to gather his strength. "What I said...about loving you...I meant it...And...I wish...things could have...been different..."

"What do you mean?"

"Sometimes...I wish...that we were...different people..." He said. "...I wish...we could just...be a normal man and...a normal woman...If we were...maybe...I could have...made you happy." His head rolled to one side as he slipped back into unconsciousness.

"Don't you see, Toroki?" She asked, leaning over to kiss him on the forehead. "You already make me happy."

*****

"Everything's ready." Tatara said, fastening the last of their equipment to his horse's saddle. "We can leave whenever you're ready."

"If I'm reading the scroll right, we should head north." Karasuki said.

Suzuno nodded. "I just want to say goodbye to Toroki first." She said.

Toroki was lying in bed awake, looking considerably better than the last time she had seen him. There could be no mistaking that he was seriously ill, but he no longer seemed to be at death's door.

Toroki smiled weakly when he saw her.

"Suzuno." He said, his voice quiet and scratchy. "You're okay."

"Thanks to you." She said, sitting down next to him and taking hold of his hand. "That was the bravest thing I've ever seen. You saved my life. And now I'm going to save yours."

"How..."

"We're going to find the last three Warriors." Suzuno said. "And when we summon Byakko, my first wish is going to be for him to heal you."

"But Suzuno..."

"It all works out." She assured him. "I get three wishes. My first wish is to cure you, my second wish will save Sairo from Kutou, and my third wish will take me home. So you just hang on until we get back, okay."

"Suzuno..." Toroki began, but he hesitated when he saw the look of hope and determination in her eyes. "Good luck."

*****

"According to the doctor, we have a little less than two months to find the last three Warriors." Suzuno said. "Karasuki, lead the way."

"We need to head north." Karasuki said. "Someplace cold."

"North it is." Tatara said. "Tokaki, let's keep an eye out for anything suspicious. I don't want any more surprises."

"You got it, big guy." Tokaki replied. "Those bastards aint gonna get the drop on us again."

"Glad to hear it."

*****

Three days into the journey, the weather became almost unbearably cold. They were heading into the mountains, and the air was growing thin. 

"Are you sure the scroll said north?" Tokaki asked. "I'm freezin' my ass off!"

Karasuki sighed. "In a place of ice and snow, waits the Mistress of Time, Subaru." He quoted. "I'm open to alternate interpretations."

"Mistress, huh?" Tokaki suddenly seemed interested. "That means a woman, doesn't it?"

Tatara turned to him. "Is sex _all you ever think about?"_

"No." Tokaki replied. "I think about foreplay a lot too."

Suzuno smiled and shook her head. After meeting Tokaki, she would never again accuse a boy at school of being a pervert. She couldn't bring herself to be offended because he was such a kind person, but it amused her to know that one of her Warriors was _exactly the sort of boy her father used to warn her about._

That thought sent a twinge of sadness through her. She had been so caught up in searching for her Warriors that she had almost forgotten how homesick she was. She wondered what her father was doing. She had been in the book for almost two weeks. If he didn't realize she was in the book, was he still looking for her? And what if he did know? What could he do? She missed him in a way she never thought possible. And if they failed, if Toroki died...

_Stop it! She told herself. __Toroki is not going to die! We're going to summon Byakko and save him, and then I'm going home._

"Are you all right, Suzuno?" Tatara asked.

"I'm fine." Suzuno replied.

"You just looked a little sad." He said.

"I was just...thinking about my father." She admitted. "I just wish I could talk to him. Just so I could let him know I'm okay."

"You two are really close, aren't you?" Tatara asked.

Suzuno nodded. "My mother died when I was very little." She said. "He's the only family I have. Well...unless you count...Takiko."

"Takiko?"

"My best friend. We were...like sisters." Mercifully, Tatara didn't keep up the questions. Perhaps he saw how much talking about Takiko bothered her.

"So how are we gonna find this 'Mistress' lady?" Tokaki asked.

"There's a town up in the mountains." Karasuki said. "They say the snow there never melts because it's so high up. I thought we'd start there."

"How long will it take us to get there?" Suzuno asked.

Karasuki turned to her and smiled. "We're staying there tonight."

*****

The streets of the town were choked with snow. The white powder had been swept aside just enough to allow people to walk around. The village had only one inn. They entered to find the main room empty. Tables and chairs were set out, making the first floor look like more of a tavern than an inn, but the chairs were currently unoccupied. 

"You want rooms?" A tired, angry-looking old man sat behind the long counter, surrounded by a cloud of pipe smoke.

"Uh...yes, please." Tatara said.

"How long?"

"I'm not sure." Tatara said. "Possibly a few days."

The old man sighed. "You pay up front." He said.

"Fine." Tatara slid a few coins across the counter. "That should cover us for a few days at least."

If the other man was impressed, he hid it well. "You want food tonight?"

"That would be nice, thank you."

The old man nodded. "DOULIN!" The four of them jumped slightly at the sudden yelling. The old man turned to glance behind him, a look of annoyance on his face. "DOULIN!" He yelled again. "Get out here!"

A few seconds later, a girl Suzuno's age stepped out of the inn's kitchen. Some of her long hair was pulled into two loops on the top of her head. The rest fell in pale green waves down her back. Suzuno had never seen anyone with green hair before, but it worked for this girl, accenting her light blue eyes perfectly. She wore the dirty, threadbare clothes of a scullery maid, but the dress wasn't quite frumpy enough to completely hide the stunning figure underneath. Suzuno could practically hear Tokaki drooling.

"Take them up to their rooms." The old man ordered.

Doulin let out a frustrated sigh. "I'm in the middle of cooking here." She said.

"NOW!" The man snapped. The girl cringed and made a gesture for them to follow her. As she led them up the stairs, the old man called after her. "And while you're doing that, reflect on who gives you a job and a warm place to sleep at night! And maybe consider showing a little _gratitude for a change!"_

*****

"You'll be happy to know that you each get your own room." The girl said as she led them down the narrow hallway at the top of the stairs. "You're the only guests we've had in months." She opened the first door they came to, gesturing for Suzuno to enter. Karasuki and Tatara got the next two.

Without warning, Tokaki found himself alone in the hallway with an extremely beautiful woman.

"So...your name's Doulin?" He asked.

"Last time I checked." She snapped back.

Tokaki hadn't been expecting such an aggressive reaction, but he wasn't about to give up. "So...uh...you're the owner's daughter, right?"

"Hardly." She replied. "I work here for room and board. That's the extent of our relationship."

"Oh...well...listen..."

"Here's your room." She said, gesturing through the door. "Dinner's in an hour." With that, she turned and stormed away down the hall, stomping down the stairs and out of sight. 

Tokaki just stood in the empty hall, stunned. That wasn't how it was supposed to work. He spoke and girls swooned. That was how things had been ever since he was fourteen years old. Who was this Doulin lady to come waltzing in with her silky hair and baby blue eyes and disrupt the natural order of things?

Standing there, Tokaki came to a decision. He would make Doulin fall for him. No matter how long he had to try, and no matter how much of his charm it took, she _would be his._

*****

"So do you think Subaru is in this village?" Suzuno asked. They were seated in a corner of the tavern. Several locals had come in shortly after they sat down. Now the room was nearly full. Apparently there weren't many other places people could go on snowy nights.

"Well I haven't really had a chance to look around yet." Karasuki said. "But it seems like just about all the locals are here, I thought we might ask them. That sound good to everyone?" Tatara nodded. Tokaki didn't seem to be paying attention. "Tokaki?"

"What do you guys think of her?"

"Who?" Suzuno asked.

"Her." He nodded toward the serving girl who had led them to their rooms. "Doulin."

"Were we supposed to be thinking about her?" Tatara asked.

"Imagine you're us and have, you know, normal hormonal levels." Suzuno said. "Would _you still be thinking about her?"_

"Of course I would." Tokaki said defensively. "Didn't it ever occur to you guys that maybe _she's Subaru?"_

"Not really." Karasuki said.

"Why not?"

"She's just so...ordinary." Karasuki said. "Celestial Warriors tend to stick out a little more than that."

"Okay, if you're so smart; out of all the women in this room, who's a more likely candidate?" Tokaki asked.

"Tokaki, I can't just look at a woman and know she's the one we're looking for." Karasuki said.

"Then how can you just look at Doulin and 'know' she _aint the one we're lookin' for?"_

"Fine. I can't. Happy now?"

Tokaki shrugged. "Happier I guess."

"Well since you seem so sure that she's our girl, Tokaki, why don't you go ask her?" Tatara said.

"What do ya want me to do?" Tokaki asked. "Just go up and ask if I could look for weird marks on her body?"

"Come on. I'm sure this wouldn't be the first time you asked a woman to show you her body." Karasuki said. Suzuno struggled not to laugh.  
  


"Oh you think this is funny, Suzuno?"

Suzuno could only nod, still holding back laughter.

"Fine." Tokaki said. "I'll go talk to her. And in time you're all gonna have to swallow your pride and admit that _I was right." He stood up and made his way across the bar to where Doulin was waiting to take the next round of orders._

Suzuno followed Tokaki with her eyes as he stepped up and spoke to Doulin. She flinched slightly when the young woman slapped him hard enough to jerk his head to the side. Then she followed him with her eyes as he made his way back amid the jeers and laughter of the tavern's regulars.

"You didn't _actually ask her if you could examine her for marks did you?" Karasuki asked._

"Of course not." Tokaki replied, rubbing his sore cheek. "I asked if she had any marks. I think she must have just inferred the lookin' part."

"Well that proves she's not Subaru." Tatara said. "If she was actually a Warrior she would have known what you were talking about."

"Yeah, I guess." Tokaki said dejectedly. "It's a damn shame."

*****

Later, as they headed for their rooms, Tokaki thought he heard yelling in the kitchen.

"You guys go on ahead." He said. "I'm just...uh..." His eyes fell on the bar. "I'm just gonna have a quick drink, okay."

The others mumbled acknowledgements and proceeded up the stairs. Tokaki quietly crept closer to the kitchen door, until he could make out the words being said.

"Don't think I didn't see your little display back there, Doulin!" The voice belonged to the innkeeper, Tokaki was sure of it.

"What are you talking..." Doulin began.

"Do you think we have enough boarders that you can just slap them whenever you feel like it?"

"You're worried about losing business?" She asked. "Those guys will be gone in a few days and all the drunken idiots in town will still come here to get wasted!"

The next thing Tokaki heard was not speech. It was the sharp, quick sound of an open hand striking bare flesh. And given the conversation, Tokaki had a pretty good idea who had been slapped.

"This will never happen again, Doulin. Is that clear?" The old man demanded. "Don't think for one second that I won't toss you out in the cold if you push me any more!"

Tokaki heard footsteps coming toward him. He ducked into the stairway just as Doulin rushed past, tears in her eyes. She ran through the inn and out the front door, slamming it behind her.

Tokaki debated for a few seconds, then followed Doulin out into the snow-covered streets. He found her sitting on the steps of the inn. She wasn't actually crying yet, but the look in her eyes said that tears weren't far away.

"Hi." He said quietly. "I'm sorry...I didn't mean to get you in trouble."

She looked up. "It's not your fault." She sniffed. "Slapping customers is bad for business, that's all."

"Is this the first time he's hit you?"

"How did you...?"

"Your cheek's red." He replied. Doulin nodded. "And I was eavesdroppin'." He added nonchalantly.

"Heh. An honest pervert. That's rich." At least the thought brought a smile to her face. Tokaki didn't want to make that smile go away again, but he felt compelled to press on.

"So is it?"

"The first time?" She asked. "Not exactly."

For a while they were both silent. "You know...When we find the person we're lookin' for, my friends and I are leavin' town."

"I figured as much." Doulin said dryly.

"We could take you with us."

She turned, looking genuinely surprised. "What makes you think I want to leave?"

Tokaki shrugged. "You just don't strike me as the kind of woman who likes gettin' slapped around, that's all."

Doulin sighed. "It's a decent job and a place to live." She said. "I'm willing to put up with a few occupational hazards. At least the pig's only _asked me to sleep with him so far. If he ordered me..."_

"You wouldn't actually do that, would you?" Tokaki asked.

She gave him an odd look. "You really are terribly naive, aren't you?" She said. "If the alternative is sleeping in that alley over there..."

"Then come with us." Tokaki said. "We're goin' to Sairo. You can find a _real job there."_

"Right." She said. "And then I'm in your debt, so if you ever decide you want a piece..."

"What?"

"Thanks, but if it's all the same to you, I'll stick with my current exploiter. At least he doesn't pretend to care about me." She stood and went back into the inn, leaving him sitting on the steps, alone and very discouraged.

*****

The next night they were back at their table in the corner. 

"Cheer up Karasuki." Suzuno said. "I'm sure there's lots of villages with snow. We'll try another one."

"It was this one, I'm sure of it." Karasuki insisted.

"Well we talked to every woman in town." Tatara said. "We didn't find her."

"Maybe Subaru's a man." Suzuno suggested.

"The scroll said 'the _Mistress of Time'. So unless you think there's a cross-dressing Warrior out there, I think we're looking for a woman." Karasuki said._

"And we're sure it's not Doulin?" Suzuno asked.

"Yeah." Tokaki spoke up. "I wish she were, but she's just a girl."

"You're really upset about this aren't you?" Suzuno had expected that Tokaki's crush on Doulin would be as fleeting as his fixations on her and Jianna were. She wondered what was different about Doulin. Was she really that much prettier than they were? Or did Tokaki's concern for her extend beyond physical attraction?

He sighed. "I just...I wish she was Subaru. For her sake."

*****

"They're gone." Doulin said, watching the travelers leave.

"Go clean up their rooms." Her boss ordered her.

"I have to start cooking for tonight." She protested. 

"Are you arguing?"

"I'm not arguing." She sighed. "But I can only do so many things at once."

"You know, Doulin, sometimes I think you don't appreciate what I do for you." He said.

She was silent. 

"Well?"

"Yes." She said. "I'm very appreciative." It wasn't technically true, but it was what the old man wanted to hear. 

"You know how you could avoid all this work." He reminded her.

Doulin sighed heavily. It always came back to that. He lusted after her body and he made no secret of the fact. She thought back to her conversation with that young guy the night before. How long would it be before the old man's 'requests' became orders?

*****

"So where do we go now?" Tatara asked as they rode away from the village.

"Farther north I guess." Karasuki said. 

"Are you okay, Tokaki?" Suzuno asked. Tokaki had been looking back over his shoulder the entire trip, even after the village passed out of sight.

"I just...I don't like leavin' her there." 

Suzuno gave him a comforting smile. "You asked her to come with us." She said. "You can't make the choice for her. You did everything you could."

"Yeah." He said. "I guess you're right. Too bad it wasn't enough."

For no particular reason, Suzuno chose that moment to look back over her shoulder toward the village. A smile came to her face.

"Maybe it was."

*****

**A lone figure rode on horseback down the mountain path, galloping to catch up with them. They stopped and waited. As the figure drew closer, Tokaki's face lit up. It was Doulin.**

Megumi set down the ancient book, trying to figure out how she was supposed to feel. It was nice that Tokaki had rescued Doulin from a life of servitude. But it didn't bring Suzuno any closer to summoning Byakko and coming home. 

She decided to take a break and see how Takao was doing. The study was quite as she approached it. Stepping through the door, she found him slumped over his desk amid a pile of books, snoring quietly. 

Megumi silently tiptoed out of the room and went back to the kitchen to continue reading. The poor man was exhausted; he deserved some rest. She would give him a few more hours at least.

*****

To Be Continued

***** 


	6. Two Warriors?

* * * * * 

***** 

Legal Stuff: Do I own Fushigi Yuugi? Hell, I can't remember. Do I? Come on think, THINK! Oh yeah, I remember! No. No, cause if I did, I'd have, you know, the money and the fame, so...nope definitely not mine. 

*****

Author's Note: My information on the names of the Byakko Seven and the locations of their symbols comes from "Byakko no Shijin Tenchisho" at http://garuby.com/byakko/

I suggest you take a look there; it's quite nice.

*****

*****

**In The Beginning...**

A Fushigi Yuugi Prequel

By: 18th Angel

*****

**Chapter Six**

Two Warriors?

*****

*****

Down the hall, Takao was still snoring quietly. In a few hours, Megumi would go wake him up and tell him what was happening. In the meantime, all she could do was hope for the best and continue reading. Suzuno hadn't found any new warriors yet, but she still had two months until Toroki became too weak to assist in summoning Byakko. Hopefully, she would have found them all by then.

**With Doulin in their group, the Priestess of Byakko and her Warriors headed south, still on the lookout for the next Celestial Warrior.**

*****

"...And now Toroki has to stay in bed and he can barely move or else the poison will spread again. If we can't find the other three Warriors in two months he'll die."

"That's awful." Doulin said. "And if he dies, you can _never go home?"_

Suzuno nodded. "We need all seven Warriors to summon Byakko. For a while we thought you were Subaru, but..."

"Sorry." Doulin said sympathetically. "I've never even _heard of this Byakko. Actually, I'm kind of an atheist."_

"It's okay." Suzuno said. "I'm glad you decided to come with us anyway. You certainly made Tokaki's day."

"What's with that guy?" Doulin asked. "Most of the time, he's the world's biggest creep. But then...he can be really sweet sometimes. I mean; he's the one who convinced me to come with you. I was...kind of rude to him when he first asked though." She sighed. "I accused him of...trying to take advantage of me, just like my boss was."

Suzuno smiled. "I know Tokaki acts like a total pervert, but he's not as immoral as he seems. If he asked you to come with us, it's because he cares about what happens to you."

"Yeah..."

*****

"So are you going to talk to her or not?" Tatara asked. Tokaki had been watching Doulin throughout her entire conversation with Suzuno.

"Huh?"

"You haven't taken your eyes off Doulin since she came down that mountain, Tokaki." Karasuki said. "We just want to know when you're actually going to talk to her. Tatara here thinks you'll do it today, but I've got money saying you don't have the guts."

"How can you make a bet like that?" Tokaki asked. "She's a person, not some...game!" He paused. "That sentence didn't just come out of my mouth, did it?"

"We aren't betting on Doulin." Tatara said.

"Yeah." Karasuki agreed. "_You're the game here."_

"I'm just not sure she wants me to talk to her."

"And that's a problem for you?" Karasuki asked, somewhat surprised. 

"Yeah." Tokaki replied, sounding just as surprised as Karasuki. "For the first time in my life...yeah."

*****

  
Everything hurt. Toroki lay as still as possible, trying not to move. After nearly a week of trying, he had learned that the more you tried not to move, the harder it became to remain still. He heard movement next to him. Turning his head sent pain shooting through him. Opening his eyes took him to new realms of agony. But when he saw who was sitting over him, he immediately smiled as widely as he could. He refused to let Jianna know how much pain he was in; it would only upset her.

"Hi..." He whispered. "How long have...you been here?" 

"Just a few minutes." She said. The dark circles under her eyes told a different story, but Toroki let it slide. 

"Any word...from Suzuno?" He asked.

"Not yet." Jianna shook her head. "But I'm sure we'll hear something soon." She added quickly.

"You don't...have to lie...to me...Jianna." He said. "I know...I'm in...a lot of...trouble."

"No." She said. "No. You're going to be fine. They're going to cure you."

"...Jianna..." He said. "I need to look...in the...library."

"But you have to stay in bed."

"This is...important...Please..."

She nodded. "I'll find a way, I promise. If we have to, we'll bring the library to you."

*****

"Hi there."

Doulin looked up from the dying campfire. Tokaki stood over her, his usual cocky grin plastered on his undeniably handsome face. Doulin sighed. She had been dreading this moment since she decided to follow the travelers.

"What do you want?" She asked.

"Just thought I'd give ya some company." He said.

"I'd prefer to be alone." She said, trying to keep her tone civil...and failing.

"Did I do somethin' wrong?" Tokaki asked.

"Look." Doulin turned around to face him. "I'm grateful for everything you've done for me, I really am. But I don't want you to get the wrong idea."

"And what idea is that?" He asked, plopping down next to her.

"The idea that I'm somehow indebted to you because you helped me out."

"It ain't like that at all." Tokaki insisted.

"So you understand, then?" She said. "I'm not going to get 'involved' with you just because you helped me see what I had to do."

"Of course not." Tokaki agreed. "You're gonna get 'involved' with me because of my charm, wit, and strikin' good looks."

"I don't think so." She said, standing up.

"Take you're time." He called after her. "I'm a patient man."

Doulin made sure he could see her shaking her head. But she couldn't help smiling, so she kept her back turned as she left the fire circle. No need to encourage the half-wit.

*****

"Welcome to Huran, an unfashionable suburb of Sairo." Karasuki said. "Home of thieves, rouges, and other assorted scum." 

"You should work for their tourism department." Suzuno said. "Why exactly are we here?"

"Well after our last...disappointment, I thought we might skip ahead to Amefuri, then come back to Subaru later."

"Sounds good." Suzuno said.

"So who's Amefuri?" Doulin asked, curious.

"One of the Warriors of Byakko." Karasuki said. "According to the scroll, he's some kind of thief."

"Well there's certainly plenty to choose from around here." Tatara said, moving closer to Suzuno, an action that did not go unnoticed. "We'd better be on guard."

Tokaki smiled broadly. "Well you just take care of Suzuno, big guy." He offered Doulin his arm. "Milady, allow me to escort you through this dangerous...area..." He trailed off as Doulin brushed past him.

Tokaki was silent for a while. "I think she's warmin' up to me." He finally said.

"You are so far out of your league it's not even funny." Karasuki said. "It's just sad."

"Just you watch." Tokaki said. "She's gonna fall in love with me. It's just a matter of time."

*****

Koulie was hungry. Well nothing new there. From age six, he couldn't remember a time when hunger didn't loom just over his shoulder. If not immediate hunger, then the promise that once whatever food he had managed to grab was digested, he would be hungry once again.

Right now it was the first, and more immediate, hunger that plagued him. Normally he would have done what he usually did, make his way to the nearest restaurant and see if he could convince the cook to give him something. But after a few weeks of that routine, Koulie felt like something a bit higher class. Something that required paying, which required money. 

He didn't like stealing. When he had to, he tried to only take from people who could afford the loss. He already had just such a group of people in his sights. Three men and two women. With one exception, they all wore clean, expensive-looking clothes. The girl with the pale green hair was clad in a faded, dingy dress. If these people had a servant, then they must be loaded.

Koulie grinned. His hand drifted absently to his neck until it rested over his mark. The symbol had been glowing faintly all day. It was a good omen. If he had to use his special skills, he knew they wouldn't fail him. Not today. All he had to do was follow the travelers and wait until they produced something valuable. Koulie hoped it wouldn't be too long. He had his heart set on crispy duck by lunchtime.

*****

"So Amefuri's a thief?" Tokaki said. "Any specific description or do we just start grabbin' shady characters and strip searchin' them?"

"You'd like that wouldn't you?" Doulin said. She dropped her voice an octave or two, doing an over-the-top imitation of Tokaki's voice. "Attention, we's lookin' for someone! All the female thieves line up in front o' me."

"I don't talk like that." Tokaki said. "Do I talk like that?" He looked around. 

"Um...No comment." Suzuno said.

"To answer your question." Karasuki took the Universe of the Four Gods scroll from his pack and unrolled it. "According to the scroll, Amefuri will appear out of nowhere and take something of great value from us."

"Well that's a great tip." Tokaki said. "Ya know, that scroll of yours is gettin' more and more useless every day."

"Just keep an eye out for anyone trying to steal from us."

*****

Doulin dragged her feet, trying to keep up with her companions. It was too damn hot. At times, she could have sworn she actually saw the air in front of her rippling from the heat. As if a haze was rising up from the ground. The itchy, threadbare dress that had failed to keep her entirely warm in the north now kept her way too hot. And it was still itchy.

"I don't mean to whine." She said. "But does that scroll say anything about whether we'll be inside or not when this guy steals our stuff."

"It is a little hot out here." Suzuno said sympathetically.

"Somehow I doubt it." Karasuki said. "But I'll see if says anything about..."

"Anything about what?" Tatara asked.

"Hey, what's wrong buddy?" Tokaki asked.

"It's gone!" 

"What's gone?" Suzuno asked.

"The Scroll! IT'S GONE!"

*****

"Too easy." Koulie whispered to himself. None of them had even noticed him. At first he had thought that their pretty servant girl had seen him, but she never said anything. Maybe he was just paranoid. 

He paused a moment to examine his prize. He had just grabbed the first thing his hand fell on in the bespectacled man's pack. Now he was a bit disappointed. It was just a scroll. A nice scroll, no doubt about that, but it wasn't even written in a language he recognized. He didn't know how much he could get for it at the local pawnshop, but it certainly wouldn't be enough for crispy duck.

He wouldn't have heard the people yelling if it wasn't for his gift. 

"The Scroll! IT'S GONE!"

Koulie didn't waste time wondering if they would notice him. He just ran, pushing his way through the crowd. He knew immediately that he had made a mistake. He was attracting even more attention now. 

"Damn it." He muttered, rubbing the glowing mark on his neck for luck. It looked like he would be needing his powers again.

*****

A chorus of yells arose from somewhere down the street. They all turned to see a thin, scruffy-looking man pushing his way through the crowd. In his hand was the Scroll. 

"You gotta be kiddin' me!" Tokaki groaned.

"Well, that was easy." Karasuki said.

As one, they took off, pushing through the crowd to catch up with the thief. Tokaki reached the man first, just as he ducked into a narrow alley. Tokaki followed, but when he rounded the corner, the thief was nowhere in sight.

The alley ran for at least a hundred feet between two buildings. The thief couldn't have reached the other end already; and the only other exits from the alley were a few windows, the lowest of which was three stories up. The guy had to be somewhere in the alley.

"Okay!" Tokaki called. "Fun's over! I ain't lookin' for trouble, but I can't let ya have that scroll!"

**_Tokaki, it's me, Karasuki. Tokaki jumped slightly when Karasuki's voice echoed in his head. _****_Don't talk, if you have anything to tell anyone, just think it and I'll deliver the message. For now just listen. He's right in front of you._**

Tokaki almost opened his mouth, but he caught himself just in time. _Where? I don't see anything!_

_ _

_**I don't know. I just feel his energy in that alley with you. It's strong; he must be Amefuri.**_

**_ _**

**_"Listen pal." Tokaki called. "I know you're in here. Just come out where I can see ya. I just wanna talk to ya."_**

**_We're at the other end of the alley, Tokaki. See if you can flush him our way.___**

_ _

_Oh, and how am I supposed to do that? I can't even see the guy!_

_ _

_**I don't know. Be creative.**_

*****

Koulie's legs ached from staying crouched in the alley for so long. When the hell was this big dope going to give up? He obviously knew that Koulie was here, but how long could he keep looking before he got tired of not finding anything?

"Damn it, would ya just come out here so we can deal with this like normal people?"

_Fat chance. I'm not anxious to mix it up today. Especially not with you._

_ _

_**Good choice. Tokaki may look stupid, but he's got a mean left hook.**_

Koulie jumped. He couldn't help it. The only voice a man was supposed to hear in his head was his own. The other man's voice ringing, not in his ears but in his mind, unnerved him to no end.

As soon as he moved, the big guy, Tokaki, was on him. Or at least he made a move in the direction of the movement. He stopped when he saw, or rather when he didn't see, Koulie.

"What the hell?"

Before the words were even out of Tokaki's mouth, Koulie was off, sprinting for the opposite end of the alley. The rest of the entourage was waiting. They saw him coming but, like Tokaki, had no idea what to make of the sight before them. He grinned. Maybe he would make it out of this after all.

*****

"Get him!" Tokaki called from down the alley.

Doulin strained her eyes. There was something moving toward them; she could almost make out the shape of a man running. But the outline she saw was blurry. And through the man's shape, she could see Tokaki, blurred and distorted.

"GRAB HIM!" Karasuki yelled.

Doulin made a grab, but she missed. She felt the thief's shoulder slam into her as he barreled through their human wall. She spun around in time to see the hazy shape running away. She immediately gave chase. 

"Get back here!"

*****

Koulie heard the servant girl yelling at him, but he wasn't going to stop for her any more than he would have fought that Tokaki guy. He glanced over his shoulder and realized that she was gaining on him.

Silently, Koulie cursed his luck. He couldn't use two powers at once. In order to outrun the girl, he would have to make himself visible again.

*****

Doulin had almost caught up with the thief when suddenly she could see all of him again. It ranked among the strangest things she had ever seen. The distorted view of the road seemed to bleed away, like water beading off an aquatic bird, revealing a painfully thin man with long, stringy hair. His clothes were in even worse shape than hers. That was all she registered before the man's shape blurred again, this time from speed. He was moving so fast that his limbs actually blurred.

Doulin put on a burst of speed, but it wasn't enough. With his new, inhuman speed, he was getting away. She couldn't run anymore, her lungs screamed for air. "Damn it!" She yelled. "JUST **SLOW _DOWN!" It was as if something snapped deep inside of her. Not a physical wound, it was an explosion within her soul. _**

Suddenly, the voices around her dimmed in volume and began to slow down. She was still running. Dimly, some part of her mind registered that although the world around her had slowed down, she had not. The thief was now moving at near-normal speed, nothing she couldn't catch up with. In seconds, she had caught up with him. She did the best thing she could think of. Hooking one foot in front of his legs, she sent the skinny thief sprawling.

As soon as Doulin tripped him, the thief seemed to lose his powers of speed. His fall occurred at the same speed as everything around them, dramatically slow.

Even before the thief hit the ground, Doulin began to feel light-headed. She tried to regain her balance, but she was too weak. As she fell, she heard the sounds around her return to their normal speed. The last thing she heard was the sound of footsteps behind her.

*****

Tokaki had just made it out of the alley when the world around him suddenly ground almost to a halt. He put everything he could into running to catch up with the others, but his legs refused to move faster than tree sap in winter. Even with the dramatic slowdown, he passed Suzuno, Tatara, and Karasuki easily. Ahead of him were the mysterious thief and Doulin, both of whom were somehow moving normally. 

Doulin overtook the man and tripped him. Suddenly, she swayed slightly, as if struggling for balance. As she did, the world began to revert to normal. Tokaki managed to reach Doulin just in time to catch her as she lost consciousness.

Tatara was the first to reach them. "Is she all right?" He asked.

"I think she just fainted." Tokaki said. "Take care of him!"

Tatara nodded. He grabbed the thin man and hauled him to his feet.

"What the hell did that bitch do to me?" The man demanded.

"HEY!" Tokaki left Doulin in the care of Suzuno and Karasuki, who had just arrived. He leaped up and grabbed the skinny thief from Tatara, slamming him against the nearest wall. "That's not how we talk about ladies, asshole! Now; I believe you have somethin' that belongs to us!" He pulled the helpless man back towards him slightly before slamming him back into the wall. "I'd like it back, _please!"_

"Tokaki. Let him go."

"Don't worry, Suzuno. I can handle this guy." Tokaki replied.

"Will you just calm down for two seconds!" Karasuki said.

"I just said..."

"Tokaki, look at his neck." Suzuno said. For the first time, Tokaki noticed the white glow emanating from under the collar of the thief's shirt. He released the man, who sank back against the wall. 

"You gotta be kiddin' me."

*****

"How's Doulin?" Tatara asked.

Suzuno shut the door to Doulin's room quietly. "Still asleep." She said. "I think she'll be okay."

"So just one question now." Tokaki said. "What are we gonna do with him?"

The thief sat in the center of the room, bound to a wooden chair with an assortment of thick vines. 

"I was going to let Suzuno talk to him." Karasuki said.

Suzuno sighed and stepped up to their captive. "Um...hi." She said.

The thief didn't respond. He simply gave her a look of pure venom.

"Listen...I know this is going to sound strange, but...can I take a look at your neck." Suzuno said.

"If you decided to, do you really think I could stop you?" He asked, tugging against his restraints for effect. 

"I guess not." Suzuno said. She reached over and gently pulled down the man's shirt collar. She smiled when the mark came into view. It was a Kanji all right; 'Rain Net', sitting on the right side of the man's thin neck.

"You're Amefuri!" She exclaimed.

"Who?"

A collective groan went through the room. Suzuno sighed. Things would be a lot easier if at least a few of her Warriors would just 'fess up to it right from the start.

"Isn't that your name? Or your nickname?"

"My name is Ran Koulie. I don't have any 'nicknames'. And this..." He inclined his head toward the mark on his neck. "...is just a birthmark."

"Yeah." Tokaki said, pushing aside his long bangs to reveal his own symbol. "This crowd knows all about 'birthmarks'."

"What do you people want?"

*****

Koulie sat and listened while the man with blue hair and glasses explained. Koulie had heard of the Priestess of Byakko and her Warriors, of course. In fact, whenever his fortune took a good enough turn that he felt like giving thanks or, as happened more often, a bad enough turn to incite him to pray for assistance, Byakko was usually his god of choice. 

But the crew in front of him didn't fit the image of Celestial Warriors. A nerd, a muscle head, and some kind of creepy gardener. They certainly had some power, no doubt about that, but there wasn't much about them that seemed holy. And as for their 'Priestess'...well she was cute, okay beautiful. But she didn't have the regal air that one expected from a legendary Priestess. In all ways he could see, she seemed like a perfectly normal girl.

"So what do you say?" The gardener asked. "You with us?"

"No."

"What?" The Priestess seemed truly devastated. "What do you mean 'no'?"

"You don't want anything to do with me sweetheart." He said. "I am absolutely no good. Even if I _didn't betray you, which isn't likely, something bad's sure to happen if you hang around me too long."_

"You wouldn't betray your Priestess." The man with the glasses said.

"You want to bet I wouldn't. Give me a week; I'll take everything you have and leave you all tied up naked in a field somewhere. _Including you, Priestess."_

The other man smiled. "No you won't." He said. "You're not that kind of person."

"Are you sure, Karasuki?" The Priestess asked.

"It's in his mind. He only steals to stay alive; he'd never rob us blind like that. And I don't think he'd betray us either."

_Damn! How had the man known what he was thinking? Suddenly, Koulie remembered the voice that had echoed in his head back in the alley. This guy was some kind of mind reader. _

"Well...fine." Koulie said, a little miffed that they had called his bluff. "But you still don't want me around. People don't fare well around me."

"I'll take the risk." The Priestess said. "I need your help. Someone I care about is sick, dying. I need your help to save him."

Koulie sighed. "You're going to regret this."

"Trust me pal." The big guy with white hair muttered. "Some of us already do."

**** *

Doulin awoke slowly. Moonlight filtered through the window. She must have been unconscious all day. She looked up and was surprised to see Tokaki sitting by her bed.

"Hey." He said. "Welcome back."

"Did we get the scroll back?" She asked.

"Thanks to you." Tokaki said. "And our scruffy little friend might be hangin' around for a while too."

"You mean?"

"Warrior number five." He said.

"That's wonderful." Doulin said, sitting up in bed.

"Doulin, what did you do?" Tokaki asked.

"I...don't know." She said. "I just...I wanted him to stop, I couldn't let him get away. And then...everything...slowed down."

"Doulin..." Tokaki said. "Remember when I asked you about...strange marks on your body?"

"Yeah."

"You never did answer the question."

She was silent. "Well...I do have...some kind of mark. It's um...here." She pointed to a spot on the side of her left breast, covered by her dress.

"Can I send Suzuno in here to take a look?" Tokaki asked.

Doulin was genuinely surprised. "You're not going to volunteer for the job?"

"Nope." Tokaki grinned. "_When I get a glimpse of those lovely melons, it's gonna be 'cause you want me to."_

"Keep on dreaming." Doulin said. "And send Suzuno in."

*****

Suzuno was only in the room for a minute or two. When she emerged, Doulin was with her. Both were smiling broadly.

"Attention, everyone." Suzuno said. "I'd like you all to meet Subaru."

*****

**In an unexpected turn of events, the Priestess of Byakko had found not one, but two of her Celestial Warriors. The Master of Stealth, Amefuri, and the Mistress of Time, Subaru. **

** **

**With time running out, the Priestess and her Warriors set out in search of the last Warrior, Kokie.**

Megumi sighed happily and laid the book down for a moment. This was a wonderful turn of events. There was only one Warrior still to be found. And despite what the book said, by Megumi's calculations there was plenty of time left before Toroki became too sick to summon Byakko. She rushed into the study. 

"Takao!" She cried. "They have six Warriors! They only need one more!"

Her face fell when she saw Takao. He looked like a man who had just lost his best friend...or worse.

"That doesn't matter now." He said. "Even if they find all seven...We can't let her summon Byakko."

*****

To Be Continued

*****


	7. The Prisoner

*   *   *   *   * 

Legal Stuff: Do I own Fushigi Yuugi? Hell, I can't remember. Do I? Come on think, THINK! Oh yeah, I remember! No. No, cause if I did, I'd have, you know, the money and the fame, so...nope definitely not mine. 

*   *   *   *   *

Author's Note: My information on the names of the Byakko Seven and the locations of their symbols comes from "Byakko no Shijin Tenchisho" at http://garuby.com/byakko/

I suggest you take a look there; it's quite nice.

*   *   *   *   *

Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you! Whoever nominated me, thank you!!!!!!! This story is now one of the fics nominated in the 'Best Overall' category in A-ano~: the FY Fanfic Contest. Thank you thank you thank you!!!!!

*   *   *   *   *

**In The Beginning...**

A Fushigi Yuugi Prequel

By: 18th Angel

*   *   *   *   *

**Chapter Seven**

The Prisoner

*   *   *   *   *

*   *   *   *   *

      "We can't let her do it." Takao said. "Even if she finds all seven Warriors, we can't let Suzuno summon Byakko."

      "What?" Megumi asked. "But Takao..."

      "We have to find a way to stop her." He insisted.

      "Well... Even if we _could_ tell her not to... If she doesn't summon Byakko, she'll be stuck there forever."

      Takao hung his head, clearly a man whose heart was in profound conflict. "...Maybe that's for the best." He said quietly.

      "For the best?" Megumi couldn't believe her ears. "What on earth was in those notes?"

      "Exactly what I was afraid of." He replied. "If Suzuno manages to summon Byakko...she'll die."

*   *   *   *   *

      Megumi was silent, obviously struck wordless by his pronouncement. 

      "What do you mean?" She finally asked.

      Takao handed her the notes he had found. "It's all in here." He said. Megumi scanned the first few pages.

      "This has happened before?" She asked.

      Takao nodded. "It was a little over a year ago." He said. "Einosuke found the book on a trip to China. Somehow his daughter, Takiko, got ahold of it. She was taken into the book, where she became the Priestess of Genbu. She found all the Warriors of Genbu and Summoned the Guardian God."

      "And it killed her?"

      Takao shook his head gravely. "It destroyed her soul. Slowly and painfully. Rather than see her suffer...Einosuke killed her. Then he took his own life and gave the book to me to keep it safe." He looked into her eyes. "If that's what it takes to get her home, then I'd rather have Suzuno spend the rest of her life in the book. Even if it means I'll never see her again."

      "Are you sure?"

      Takao nodded.

      "Then how can we talk to her?"

      "We need to have something in common." Takao said. "Some kind of clothing or personal item. Einosuke said in his notes that he could talk to Takiko because she had an extra pair of glasses in their house. As long as Takiko had her glasses on and Einosuke wore the extra pair, they were connected and she could hear him."

      "Okay. So we need to find something that you and Suzuno can use the same way." Megumi said. "Well there's her school uniform, but I don't think we should try that. But she isn't wearing anything else."

      "Wait." Takao said. "Her earrings!"

      "Her earrings?" Megumi asked.

      Takao nodded. "They were her mother's." He said. "There's a necklace that goes with them."

      "Okay." Megumi said. "I'll go get the necklace, where is it?"

      Takao's face fell. 

      "What?" Megumi asked.

*   *   *   *   *

      Takao couldn't believe his own stupidity. How could he have forgotten that the necklace was in storage? Megumi had gone to retrieve the necklace from its safe deposit box, leaving Takao alone with the book. He prayed that Suzuno wouldn't summon Byakko before he was able to warn her. 

      **The Priestess of Byakko and her companions set out to find the final Warrior. Meanwhile, in Sairo, Toroki carried out a search of his own.**

*   *   *   *   *

      "That's the last of it." Jianna said, pointing to the small collection of scrolls on the table next to Toroki's bed. "This is everything the scholars have ever written about the Guardian Gods. Or at least, all we could find. It would help if we knew what you were looking for."

      "Actually it wouldn't...help." Toroki said. "It would only...make you more upset." He smiled weakly.

      "I take that to mean you don't want me to help you look."

      Toroki shook his head. "I have to do this on...my own." He said. 

      "Just don't wear yourself out." Jianna said. "You need to stay strong for just a little longer."

      "I'll try."

      "I'm serious." Jianna said, kneeling next to his bed. "You've got to live until Suzuno can wish for a cure."

      "I know." He gently took her hand in his own. "I won't...overdo it. I'll still be able to summon Byakko."

      "You really don't understand do you? I don't care about Byakko or Kutou or...anything else. I just don't want anything to happen to you."  
  


      Jianna leaned over and pressed her lips gently to his. "I love you, Toroki." She whispered. "I don't care who you are. Warrior, farmer...it doesn't make any difference. It doesn't change how I feel about you." She hugged him tightly. "I love you. I always have. And I always will."

*   *   *   *   *

      The hallway was dark as Jianna quietly closed the door to Toroki's room.

      "You've been spending a great deal of time in there, Highness." The sudden voice behind her startled Jianna. She spun around. Her chief advisor Liu Huang stood before her. "Perhaps you would care to explain the nature of your relationship with that boy."

      "Toroki is an old friend of mine and a Warrior of Byakko." Jianna said, not about to back down to the old man. "And if I recall correctly, Liu. _You_ answer to _me_. Not the other way around."

      "You forget, Highness. Your father specifically instructed me to be a guiding hand until you are ready to rule on your own. That was the last order he ever gave me, and I intend to obey it."

      "I'm not a child." Jianna said defiantly. "I can take care of the Empire on my own."

      "Forgive me for saying so, Highness. But your decisions of late have been somewhat rash."

      "I know where this is going. And you know my answer."

      "Highness, we cannot stand against Kutou. And placing our faith in an outdated myth will not save us." Liu said. "If we surrender to Kutou, if we accept their rule, we can save thousands of lives. ...Lives that will be wasted if we continue to resist."

      Jianna's eyes narrowed. "Sometimes..." She said quietly. "I wonder where your loyalties truly lie, Liu."

      The old returned her icy stare. "My loyalty is to the Empire." He said.

      "Well _my_ loyalty is to my people." Jianna replied. "...People who would rather die free than live as slaves."

*   *   *   *   *

      "So where to now Karasuki?" Tokaki asked.

      Karasuki frowned. He was finding it difficult to read the scroll and hold his horse's reigns at the same time. "Well, this says something about a prison."

      Tokaki looked over his shoulder.

      "Hey, pal!" He called. "Any of your friends get thrown in jail lately."

      "That's funny." Amefuri deadpanned. "I'm laughing on the inside. Really."

      "Just wonderin'."

      "Speaking of wondering..." Amefuri said holding up his bound hands. "Are the ropes really necessary?"

      "Is it makin' you uncomfortable?" Tokaki asked.

      "No, I love being tied to a horse and forced to follow a bunch of idiots who don't know what's good for them all day. OF COURSE IT'S UNCOMFORTABLE!"

      "Then I'm sure it's really necessary."

      Up in front of the group Suzuno sighed wearily. "Are those two _ever_ going to get tired of picking at each other."

      "Well they've been at it for three days with no sign of slowing." Tatara replied. "So I'd say we've got a long road ahead of us."

      "Fine." Suzuno said. "Time to nip it in the bud." She pulled on her reigns and dropped back to ride midway between Tokaki and Amefuri.

      "Would you two give it a rest?" She said. "We're all on the same side here. Can't you at least _try_ to get along?"

      "You could solve all this by just untying me and letting me go, sweet-cheeks."

      "You ain't goin' nowhere!" Tokaki said forcefully. "And for the last time; you call her 'Priestess' or 'Suzuno'! Not 'toots', 'sweetheart', 'babe', or anything else! Got it?"

      Suzuno shook her head. "As soon as we're sure you won't run off, we'll untie you. I promise."

      "You'll be much better off if you just let me go now." Amefuri replied. "I promise."

      "Wouldja knock it off, already?" Tokaki groaned. "You are _not_ cursed!"

      Subaru shifted uncomfortably in her saddle and tried to block out the sound of two grown men bickering like children. "This is going to be a long trip."

*   *   *   *   *

      "So here we are." Tokaki said.

      "Yes."

      "We have arrived." 

      "Yes, we have." Karasuki confirmed.

      "It took us a long time, but we're finally here." Tokaki continued.

      "What are you getting at?" Karasuki asked.

      "Just, ya know, wonderin' where the hell we are."

      Karasuki sighed. "You know, I haven't been outside the Palace since I was eleven, and I know more about the world than you do." He said. "This is Wujiang. This city has one of the largest prisons in all of Sairo."

      "I'm still not sure about this." Tatara said. "What does the scroll say exactly?"

      Karasuki pulled the scroll out of his pack and read aloud. "The final Warrior, Kokie will cross your path while escaping from her prison."

      "So..." Tatara said. "A woman, escaping from prison."

      "Hence, the largest jail in the empire." Subaru added.

      "Good thinking." Suzuno said.

      "Now we just need to find out if any women have escaped lately." Karasuki said with a nod. 

      "You guys are much dumber than you look. And that's saying a lot." They all turned at Amefuri's harsh words.

      "What are you talkin' about?" Tokaki demanded.

      "I spent a whole year in prison once. And believe me, I didn't see a single woman the entire time. Because they don't put women in jail. I thought at least one of you would know that."

      "What?" Suzuno asked.

      "Sorry, _Priestess_. You're not going to find this Kokie lady escaping from any prison around here."

      They were all silent for a moment. "Well...let's...split up and look around anyway." Tatara finally said. "We're here. We might as well have a look around. Karasuki, take Amefuri and...take another look at the scroll I guess; see if there's anything you missed."

      "Subaru and I can check around town." Tokaki suggested. "See if anyone knows anybody who might be our girl."

      "Okay." Tatara said. "Then Suzuno and I can check around the prison."

*   *   *   *   *

      "I don't get it." Suzuno said dejectedly. "Why would the scroll give directions that are impossible to follow?"

      "I don't know." Tatara said, gently taking her hand. "But Kokie is out there somewhere. We'll find her."

      "But will we find her in time?" Suzuno asked. "Toroki only has a month or so left. And...if he dies..."

      "Stop." Tatara said gently but firmly before she completely surrendered to tears. "We'll find her on time. I promise."

      "But how can you be so sure?"

      "I can't." Tatara admitted. "But have I ever lied to you before?"

      Suzuno gave him a look.

      "Okay." Tatara amended. "Have I lied to you _lately_?"

      A small smile finally came to Suzuno's face. "No." She said.

      "Then when I promise that we'll find Kokie in time to save Toroki, you believe me right?"

      Suzuno nodded reluctantly. "Yes. Or... Well, I believe that you and the others will do everything you can to help me find her."

      Tatara smiled. "I guess that will have to do." He said.

*   *   *   *   *

      "So what's the deal with Suzuno and Tatara?" Amefuri asked.

      Karasuki looked up from the scroll briefly. "What deal?"

      "Come on!" The skinny thief replied. "Don't tell me you haven't seen the way they look at each other. You guys hadn't even been dragging me around a whole day before I noticed it."

      "Amefuri?"

      "Yeah."

      "This will go a lot faster if one of us doesn't talk." Karasuki snapped.

      "Oh really? Well I'm already bound, why not just gag me too?"

      "You're making that sound more and more like a good idea with every word you say."

      "Ooh, someone's touchy." Amefuri taunted. "What's the matter? You jealous? Want the little Priestess all to yourself?"

      Karasuki started to laugh but stopped himself.

      "Did I say something funny?" Amefuri asked.

      "Funnier than you realize."

*   *   *   *   *

      "This isn't working." Subaru said. They had spent the better part of an hour roaming through back alleys and badly lit taverns without a single lead to show for it.

      "Yeah." Tokaki agreed. "But hey, we got to spend some quality time alone together, so it wasn't a total waste."

      "Tokaki..." Subaru began.

      "I know. I know." He cut her off. "It's takin' you forever to realize the depth of your feelings for me. That's okay." He smiled. "Take your time. It's enough for me just havin' you around at all."

      "You really mean that, don't you?"

      "'Course I mean it!" Tokaki said.

      For a moment, Subaru was actually overcome with emotion, something that simply never happened to her. She turned away quickly.

      "Subaru...?" Tokaki asked. He sounded concerned.

      "I...I don't get you, Tokaki." She finally said. "Why do you...care so much about me?"

      "You want the honest answer?" He asked. Subaru nodded. "You're the first girl who ever made me work."

      "Huh?" That wasn't the kind of answer she had expected from Tokaki. And yet, it had a ring of truth to it. "What do you mean?"

      "My whole life, I've been able to have any woman I wanted. But...I never really wanted any of 'em. I could never figure out what was missin' but...now I think I know."

      He stood behind her and placed his hands lightly on her shoulders. At first Subaru stiffened under his touch, but she found herself relaxing almost immediately.

      "See...I don't want a woman who just throws herself at me 'cause I'm handsome or charmin' or whatever." He continued. "I want someone who's an actual person. I want to be with someone and know that she loves me as much as I love her."

      Now he had done it. Everything had been going close to fine, but then he had to throw the 'L Word' into the equation. "I'm sorry." Subaru whispered, on the verge of tears. "I don't...I can't. I'm sorry."

      "I already told ya." Tokaki said. "I'm willin' to wait."

      "You don't understand." She said, turning to face him. "It doesn't matter how long you wait. I'll never love you...the way you want me to. I can never love anyone like that again. You'll only get hurt in the end, and I don't want that. Please...for your own sake...please just forget about me."

      She pushed past him and hurried away before he could respond. It wasn't until she was sure that Tokaki could no longer see or hear her that Subaru finally let her tears come.

      "It's not fair." She whispered through her quiet sobs. "Why couldn't I have met you first?"

*   *   *   *   *

      "We've been walking around here for three hours." Suzuno said. "This is hopeless."

      "Well it's a big empire." Tatara replied. "She is out there somewhere."

      "We just...we found Subaru and Amefuri so easily. It was almost like fate was guiding us to them, or them to us." Suzuno said. "And now...I feel like fate has abandoned us."

      "I think you're giving up hope too soon." Tatara said gently.

      "Well...that's what I do." Suzuno admitted. "My teachers always say I give up too easily."

      Tatara placed his hand lightly on her shoulder, sending shivers up and down Suzuno's spine. "Well I'm not giving up yet." He said with a smile.

      Suzuno returned his smile. "Then neither will I."

*   *   *   *   *

      Fate waited another hour before smiling again. When the time finally came, Suzuno nearly missed it.

      She and Tatara were headed away from the prison when a girl, a few years younger than Suzuno, darted out of an alleyway, not looking where she was going, and ran headlong into Suzuno. They both fell to the ground in a tangled mass of arms and legs.

      The girl was the first to stagger back to her feet. "Why don't you watch where you're going!?" She snapped.

      "Hey you little brat!" Suzuno said, standing up. "You're the one who ran into me!"

      "Yeah right!" The girl said defiantly.

      "She went this way! Come on!" A voice shouted from the alley.

      The girl turned to the alley with the look of a fox who has just heard the hounds behind him.

      "Uh...well...anyway." She said. "I'll forgive you this time...so, bye!" She darted off in the opposite direction, down another side alley.

      "What a weird kid." Suzuno said. "Rude too."

      "I wonder..." Tatara said quietly.

      "What?"

      "I'm not sure but...let's get out of the flow of traffic." Tatara replied.

      No sooner had they stepped away from the alley than a group of men barreled out into the street. They seemed to Suzuno to be composed of about ninety percent muscle and ten percent brains. 

      Noticing them, the biggest man in the group turned to Tatara. "Did you just see a girl run past here?" He demanded, leaning so close, it looked as though he might bite Tatara's head off if the answer wasn't to his liking.

      "Could you be more specific?" Tatara asked politely.

"What kind of girl?"

      "Don't get smart!" The other man yelled.

      "Oh no, of course not." Tatara said. "Blonde girl, kind of skinny, had on a brown cloak?" He asked.

      "That's the one! Where did she go?"

      "That way." Tatara said without hesitation, pointing down the main road. "You'd better hurry, she seemed pretty quick."

      The thugs didn't bother to thank Tatara; they simply took off in the direction he pointed.

      "What are you doing?" Suzuno asked when they had gone.

      "No time to explain." Tatara said, pulling her into the alley the girl had disappeared into. "Come on!"

      The alley turned out to be a dead end. Huddled in the corner, trying to hide behind the trash that littered the street was the skinny blonde girl. The fiery temper she had displayed earlier seemed to have gone out of her, leaving her in 'cower and hide' mode.

      "Are you alright?" Tatara asked gently.

      "What do you want?" The girl demanded. "Stay away from me!"

      "Hey calm down." Suzuno said. "We're not with those guys."

      Tatara nodded his agreement. "And anyway, they're probably looking for you on the other side of town by now."

      "I wouldn't be so sure." A voice came from behind them. The girl leaned against the wall behind her, trying to get as far away as possible. Tatara and Suzuno turned around to see the men from before looming over them.

      "You're a bad liar, little man." The leader laughed.

      Suzuno looked desperately at Tatara. He shrugged. "Sorry. They must be smarter than they look."

      "What did I tell you, boys? Appearance is everything." The leader said. His voice had lost it's rough edge; clearly the whole 'stupid thug' thing had been an act. He turned back to Tatara. "Now if you'll just hand over the girl, we might ignore your little misdirection."

      Tatara shook his head. "I'm afraid I can't do that." He said.

      "What's she to you?" A smile crossed the big man's face. "Don't get any ideas pal. She's already spoken for."

      "Spoken for?" Suzuno asked, looking back at the girl. Suddenly it hit her. "You mean she's married?" She screamed. "But she's just a kid!"

      "She's not married." Tatara said softly. "Not in the way you're thinking at any rate." He turned to the leader. "How much did you pay for her?"

      "I paid nothing." The man said with a laugh. "But I'm told she set the boss back a decent sum. Which doesn't include all the trouble she's caused." He threw an evil look at the girl, who tried to make herself as small as possible. "Don't think I don't see you back there." He called. "You're lucky the boss wants you unharmed. As soon as he gets tired of you, I _will_ pay you back for this." He lifted up his right arm. On his forearm, right below the wrist, was the outline of a full set of human teeth. The marks from the front teeth were still oozing blood.

      "She's a slave?" Suzuno asked, now thoroughly disgusted. No matter how rude the girl was, she didn't deserve to be chased by these men.

      "Slavery is against the law in Sairo." The leader said. "Mei here was adopted legally."

      "Did your boss tell her parents what he planned on doing with her?" Tatara asked. He seemed to be getting more and more angry.

      "Her parents weren't around. And her former guardian didn't ask; he was too eager to be rid of the little bitch." The big guy replied. "Look at the girl. She's one of the Hin Tribe. What do you care what happens to one of those barbarians?"

      "I don't care what she is!" Tatara said. "She's coming with us, not with you!"

      "Now that won't do." The man put on a face of false sincerity. "I can't allow kidnapping after all."

      "Then let me talk to your boss." Tatara said.

      "Oh my good sir." The big guy grinned. "You would have done that no matter what." Two of the thugs darted forward with impossible speed and grabbed Suzuno and Tatara. A third rushed past them and grabbed Mei, who kicked and screamed in protest.

      "I can't just let you wander off after everything you've heard." He said. "Besides, your woman looks like the boss's type."

*   *   *   *   *

      Tatara and Suzuno were led to a large mansion on the outskirts of town. Just inside the house, the group split up. Two of the thugs pulled Suzuno and Mei down a side hall. Tatara tried to stop them, but strong arms grabbed him and pushed him into the main hall. 

      Tatara found himself in a plush sitting room. The decor seemed more Arabian than Chinese, as did the clothing of the people arrayed throughout the room. But the man in the center was no Arab.

      "Who is this?" He demanded, pushing one of several scantily clad concubines away from him.

      "Answer him!" The head guard said roughly.

      Tatara took a moment to consider his answer. It wouldn't do him any good to reveal his true identity to these men. And if they then surmised who Suzuno really was, that would be even worse.

      "My name is Kasaru." He finally said. "I come from the Hseing Monastery in Konan."

      "You're not dressed like a Monk." The boss said.

      "I've been on a missionary journey." Tatara said. 

      "What is this monk doing here?"

      "He interfered when we were bringing Jing Mei back." The guard said.

      "Hmmm. Tell me, Kasaru; what interest does a monk have in a disobedient concubine?"

      "There is more Sir." The guard said. "He had a woman with him."

      "A woman?"

      The big man nodded. "I don't think he's a monk at all."

      "The woman he speaks of is...my sister." Tatara came up with another quick lie.

      "She doesn't look like his sister." The guard said. "She's some kind of foreigner."

      Tatara silently cursed his luck. Why did he have to run into the only smart guard in the world?

      "What's your game?" The boss asked.

      "Fine." Tatara said, laughing. "It seems I can't fool anyone today. I was actually trying to get the girl without paying, but you're obviously too clever for that. How much then?"

      The other man's eyes narrowed. "She's not for sale."

      "Oh come now." Tatara said. "Everything's for sale."

      "You tried to kidnap my property, now you try to buy her off me before I've even...assessed her value?" The boss said. "I paid good money for that girl and you aren't getting your hands on her."

      "Sir." Another guard spoke up. "The foreign girl is demanding to speak with you."

      "Very well." The boss said. "Bring her here. Bring Mei too, while you're at it." He added.

      The guards brought Suzuno and Mei back into the room. The younger girl seemed to have regained some of her previous fighting spirit. She kicked and fought against the man carrying her. But as the guard outweighed her by at least two hundred pounds, it was largely a futile effort.

      "Tatara!" Suzuno called. "She's Kokie, Tatara!"

      "So." The Boss said, grinning. "You just lie about everything don't you, _Tatara_?"

      "Fine." Tatara said. "The truth is, that girl is vital to the safety of the Empire. As a representative of Empress Jianna, I can offer you up to twice the amount you paid for her."

      "Vital to the safety of the Empire? How so?"

      "Suzuno?" Tatara asked.

      "Take off your cloak, Mei." Suzuno said gently. "Show him what you showed me."

      "Hey, don't talk to me like I'm three." Mei snapped, shrugging off her long cloak. Underneath, she wore a harem girl's outfit, which, in Tatara's opinion, showed off far more skin than was proper for a girl her age. What he noticed immediately however, was the glowing symbol on her bare midriff, right above her belly button. It was undoubtedly the symbol of Kokie, just as Suzuno had said. 

      "That girl is one of the Seven Warriors of Byakko." Tatara said. "I've already offered you generous compensation for her. I suggest you take it, because one way or another, she's coming with us."

      "I think not." The gangster snapped his fingers. The guards surrounding Tatara drew their swords and pointed them at him. "I think I'll have you disposed of, and keep _both_ women for myself."

      The Guards grabbed Tatara and pulled him toward the door.

      "No!" Suzuno cried.

      "Shut up!" Another guard hit Suzuno in the stomach. She doubled over, gasping for breath. 

      "No!" Tatara struggled free and sent a bundle of vines across the room, wrapping them around the offender's neck. "Don't you touch her!"

      "I've had enough!" The Boss yelled. "Kill the bastard!"

*   *   *   *   *

      **The head guard seized Tatara again and pressed a dagger to his throat. But before he could draw it across, the room seemed to explode.**

**      The little girl, Kokie, stood in the center of the blast, white light radiating from her fists.**

**      "Let him go!" She ordered, sending a bolt of energy flying toward the guard with the knife.**

      Takao set the book down for a moment. They had found all seven Warriors. Assuming that they survived and escaped from the harem, they could summon Byakko at any time. His only hope was for Megumi to return soon with the necklace so he could tell Suzuno not to. What was taking her so long?

*   *   *   *   *

To Be Continued

*   *   *   *   * 


End file.
